ICE agent charged with accepting bribes

MIAMI, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- A Florida Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent allegedly accepted kickbacks and gifts from an informant and helped a Chinese smuggler, prosecutors say.

Officials allege that ICE agent Pedro Cintron, 52, of Weston, Fla., accepted $8,300 in cash and gifts from a confidential informant, as well as a $12,000 bribe from a Chinese man based in Ecuador working to smuggle illegal immigrants into the United States, The Miami Herald reported Tuesday.

Cintron, arrested Friday on a 14-count indictment, is also accused of allegedly disclosing the informant's identity and of making false statements to investigators, the newspaper said. His bail was set Monday at $200,000 and he is facing a maximum sentence of 57 years in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Clark alleged Cintron in 2004 demanded a kickback from the informant, who had been paid $125,000 by ICE to help break the Chinese smuggler's Ecuadorian ring.

Cintron's attorney told the Herald the ICE agent, now suspended, would plead innocent.