Eagle Pass CBP Officer Charged with Possession of Child Pornography Denied Bond

By: Miguel Munoz, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2018

Eagle Pass, Texas Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer David John Castaneda II, age 40, who was arrested on April 18, 2018 for possession of child pornography, was denied bond by United States Magistrate Judge Collis White for the Western District of Texas, Del Rio Division, in Del Rio, Texas at a preliminary and detention hearing held on Tuesday, April 24, 2018.

According to the Criminal Complaint filed against Castaneda, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) “received a lead from the HSI child exploitation unit in Phoenix, Arizona to an individual purchasing passwords to unlock encrypted files containing still images and videos depicting child pornography from an Internet website.”  The Criminal Complaint further states that the HSI investigation “identified the individual engaging in such conduct as David John Castaneda II” and that at least in “two occasions between February 16, 2017 and March 3, 2017, the passwords to access files containing child pornography were sent to Castaneda’s email address, and a payment processing account associated with Castaneda was billed for the purchase of the passwords.” Additionally, “Castaneda’s credit card was associated with the payment processor that completed the transaction.”

The Criminal Complaint further states that “during the course of the investigation, Agents conducted an interview with Castaneda. In a post-Miranda interview, Castaneda freely and voluntarily admitted to purchasing the passwords to access the files containing child pornography. Castaneda also admitted to viewing images of child exploitative material,” said Special Agent Justin Hargis with Homeland Security Investigations in the Criminal Complaint filed with the federal court.

Castaneda will remain detained at the Val Verde County Correctional Facility, operated by The GEO Group, in Del Rio, Texas until his case is finalized in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas in Del Rio, unless an appeal of his bond denial is successful.

Castaneda is represented by Eagle Pass attorney Gregory D. Torres.

All individuals accused of a criminal offense are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.