A US Border Patrol agent was sentenced to Federal Prison for assisting a human smuggling ring bring people into the United States.

For his work in assisting over 100 people be smuggled into the US and passing along intelligence, the agent, Jose Olivas only profited between $1,200 to $2,400.

Form the New York Times:

For all this, Mr. Olivas, who pleaded guilty in October under an agreement with the government, netted about $1,200 to $2,400, baffling Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz of United States District Court, who questioned why the agent would jeopardize his 10-year career for such a relatively small amount.

Mr. Olivas, standing in red inmate clothing with his back turned to more than a dozen Border Patrol agents in their green uniforms who came out to support him, told the judge he was a single parent struggling to overcome financial problems in raising two teenagers.

“Everything just built up,” he said, apologizing for “breaking the trust that was given to me.” His lawyer, Elizabeth A. Missakian, denied that her client had dated Ms. Fierro, but offered little explanation other than desperation for his criminal turn.

“Something went wrong,” Judge Moskowitz told Mr. Olivas, wondering aloud why he had not sought loans or other legitimate financial aid and speculating that the smuggling ring had recruited him for a better understanding of Border Patrol procedures.

Human Smuggling is a $10 billion market.