Former Texas Deportation Officer Sentenced To Prison For Laundering Drug Money

A former Homeland Security officer in Texas has been sentenced to prison for profiting from illegal drug trafficking.

The former officer was in charge of deportations for the department and is accused of committing crimes while acting in his official position.

Former DHS officer sentenced to prison

Chris Washington Toral, 49, of Spring, pled guilty to money laundering on February 27, 2025.

Toral was sentenced on Tuesday to 70 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. He also has to pay a $20,000 fine.

He was sentenced in Houston by U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison.

Deportation officer launders drug money

According to a press release from the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, Toral used his badge and revolver to safeguard what he believed to be cartel narcotics money.

The former officer, who began working for DHS in 2008, spent two months in 2023 moving $700,000 in narcotics earnings under the pretext of official duties, according to the release.

Toral consented to transport a $200,000 bag of cash from Dallas to Houston as part of the illicit operation twice in a month, mistaking it for drug money.

The following month, he took another $300,000 flight from New Jersey to Houston, avoiding TSA by using his DHS job.

Toral committed the crimes for cash, according to the announcement.

What they’re saying: “When a sworn officer uses the badge to shield criminal activity, the damage extends far beyond a single crime; it strikes at the very foundation of public trust,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams. “Christopher Toral decided to put personal gain over public duty. Today’s sentencing is the result of a shared commitment by FBI Houston and DHS-Office of Inspector General (OIG) to root out corruption wherever it hides.”

“Serving the public as a law enforcement officer demands the utmost integrity,” said DHS Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari Ph.D. “We, along with our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, remain resolute to ensure law enforcement officers who break the public’s trust are held accountable.”

Toral was allowed to remain on bond and voluntarily report to a Federal Bureau of Prisons prison that will be established soon.