Former DHS officer sentenced to 70 months for laundering drug proceeds

HOUSTON, TX -- A former deportation officer has been sentenced for laundering money while working for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Christopher Washington Toral, 49, Spring, pleaded guilty Feb. 27.

U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison has now ordered Toral to serve 70 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. He must also pay a $20,000 fine. At the hearing, the court heard additional information that detailed Toral’s willingness to use his badge and gun to protect what he believed to be cartel drug money.

“Federal officers are imbued with tremendous power, and with that power comes a great responsibility to uphold the people’s trust. When those same officers choose to engage in corrupt acts, they not only break the law, they strike at the heart of public confidence in our system of government,” said Ganjei. “In choosing personal gain over his duty to his fellow citizens, Toral effectively chose prison over honor.”

“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 began working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2008 and was assigned to a processing center in Conroe. Over a two-month period in 2023, he used his position as a federal law enforcement officer to transport $700,000 in drug proceeds under the guise of official duties.

As part of an undercover operation, Toral agreed to transport a black bag containing $200,000 in cash from Dallas to Houston in February 2023, believing the money was from illegal narcotics sales. He made the same trip later that month delivering an additional $200,000.

In March, Toral flew from Newark, New Jersey, to Houston with $300,000 in suspected drug money, bypassing airport security and Transportation Security Administration by exploiting his law enforcement position.

Toral did all this in exchange for cash payments.

Toral was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

FBI and DHS-OIG conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Ferko and John Marck prosecuted the case.