San Salvador, El Salvador - A 21-year law enforcement veteran of the Salvadoran National Civil Police was arrested June 29 for his alleged involvement in attempting to smuggle two individuals to the United States. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents from the HSI Assistant Attaché Office in El Salvador assisted police officers from the Salvadoran National Civil Police in making the arrest.

Jose Rene Martinez Guardado, 49, was identified while officers were conducting routine inspections near the San Cristobal Port of Entry on the El Salvador, Guatemala border. He was allegedly trying to smuggle two individuals: an unaccompanied 17-year-old male and an adult male.

“This case reflects the commitment of the Salvadoran government to not only combat human smuggling, but to also root out corruption,” said Alvin De la Rosa, HSI assistant attaché to El Salvador. “Martinez Guardado’s alleged actions don’t reflect the dedication and commitment among the vast majority of police officers operating in El Salvador.”

The Salvadoran Attorney General’s office is handling the prosecution of the case.

Through ICE's Office of International Operations and the U.S. Department of State, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has 67 attaché offices in 48 countries around the world. HSI special agents work closely with foreign law enforcement agencies and through a robust network of specialized, vetted units known as Transnational Criminal Investigative Units.