Bart Conrad Yager, a 39-year-old Border Patrol agent assigned to the Tucson Sector, has been indicted on 24 felony charges, including child sex trafficking, fraud, and drug offenses. The indictment follows a wide-ranging investigation by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Professional Responsibility and prosecutors in Cochise County.
The charges include 10 counts of child sex trafficking, six counts of pandering, and one count of attempted child sex trafficking, as well as allegations of fraudulent activity between July 2023 and March 2024. Additional felony charges, including drug possession and sale of controlled substances, were filed in 2025.
Yager is accused of misusing government resources, submitting false travel reimbursements, and soliciting illegal activity during duty hours. Investigators say he used federal funds to pay for accommodations linked to the alleged misconduct and that he paid over $42,000 to multiple individuals over a three-year period — including over $12,000 to a person who was underage at the time.
CBP confirmed Yager’s arrest and stated that “the overwhelming majority of CBP employees and officers perform their duties with honor and distinction.” The agency emphasized that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Yager had previously been named in a 2014 sexual misconduct complaint that was closed when the alleged victim declined to pursue further action. Discrepancies remain over whether CBP was properly informed of that case at the time.
This is one of several recent high-profile cases involving CBP personnel in Arizona:
- Ramon Marquez, a Yuma-based agent, was charged in May with 15 felonies involving inappropriate conduct with a minor.
- Aaron Thomas Mitchell, a CBP port officer, was sentenced to 27 years in prison earlier this year for a 2022 incident involving a student in Douglas, AZ. He faces additional state charges.
- Efren Lopez Cornejo, formerly of the Tucson Sector, accepted a plea deal in 2024 involving two counts of misconduct and received lifetime probation.
These cases have reignited scrutiny of internal oversight at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), especially regarding how allegations against personnel are investigated and adjudicated. Critics argue that a lack of transparency and accountability has allowed systemic problems to persist.
Former Border Patrol agent and advocate Jenn Budd described ongoing cultural issues within the agency, including resistance to internal reporting and low representation of women in the workforce. A 2022 report by the Project on Government Oversight also found that DHS’s Office of Inspector General had suppressed misconduct investigations involving CBP and ICE personnel.
While the CBP has since moved investigative authority to its Office of Professional Responsibility and disbanded internal “critical incident teams,” oversight groups say these changes remain insufficient. They also point to reduced staffing at internal watchdog offices under recent DHS leadership.
Advocates continue to call for stronger accountability measures and independent oversight, especially as the agency plans to expand hiring in the coming years.
Yager remains in custody at Cochise County Jail. His case is being closely watched as a potential flashpoint for renewed calls for reform within one of the nation’s largest law enforcement agencies.