HOUSTON — A former deportation officer with the Office of Homeland Security is going to prison for laundering drug money.

A federal judge in Houston sentenced Christopher Washington Toral, 49, from Spring, to 70 months, or nearly six years in prison. He was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine.

Toral began working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2008 and was assigned to an ICE processing center in Conroe.

During sentencing, prosecutors said he used his badge and gun to protect what he believed to be cartel drug money.

“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,” FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams said. “Christopher Toral decided to put perso

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