In late July 2025, a rumor circulated online that U.S. Border Patrol agent Bart Conrad Yager was charged with 19 felonies including child sex trafficking.
(TheSonsofLiberty/Facebook)
For example, a July 19 Facebook post (archived) with over 1,400 reactions read: "U. S. Border Patrol agent Bart C. Yager was charged last month with 19 felonies including child sex trafficking, rape, prostitution, and fraud. Note that he is not 'illegal'. Your MAGA #SaveOurChildren thugs at work, America."
Similar claims appeared on Instagram (archived) and Reddit (archived), with many social media posts linking to a Herald/Review article (archived) titled, "USBP agent charged in 19 felonies including child sex crimes."
In short, while social media posts accurately claimed that Yager faced 19 felony charges including child sex trafficking in June, some were misleading about the specific nature of some charges. Namely, prosecutors have not formally charged Yager with rape, even though an individual did reportedly accuse him of that crime in 2014. Also, prosecutors filed additional charges against Yager in July, bringing the total to 24.
As a result, we've rated the claim mostly true.
According to court documents the Cochise County Attorney's Office shared over email, Cochise County Grand Juries returned three separate indictments on June 26 and one indictment on July 17, charging Bart Conrad Yager, 39, with a total of 24 felony counts across four cases in the Superior Court of Arizona for Cochise County.
Roger Maier, public affairs specialist for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), provided an official statement via email:
On June 17, 2025, at 8 a.m., CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility arrested a CBP employee in Wilcox, Ariz., and executed a search warrant based on allegations of child sex trafficking, fraudulent schemes, and pandering. This individual no longer works for the U.S. Border Patrol. We refer all questions to the Cochise County Attorney's Office, which is prosecuting the case.
The complete charges
The three indictments contained the following charges:
Case 1: 17 felony counts spanning July 2023 through March 2024
- Child Sex Trafficking (10 counts): Transporting/financing transportation of a minor for prostitution and engaging in prostitution with a minor aged 15-17
- Pandering (six counts): Compelling, inducing, or encouraging someone to engage in prostitution
- Attempted Child Sex Trafficking (one count): Attempting to engage in prostitution with a minor
Case 2: one felony count
- Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices: Obtaining benefits from the U.S. government through fraudulent means between August and December 2023
Case 3: one felony count
- Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices: Obtaining benefits from the U.S. government through fraudulent means between January and May 2024
The July 17, 2025, indictment added the following charges:
Case 4: five felony counts
- Possession or Use of Dangerous Drugs (two counts): Possessing trenbolone and testosterone
- Sale or Transportation of Dangerous Drugs (two counts): Importing trenbolone and testosterone into Arizona
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (one count): Using or possessing paraphernalia to inject dangerous drugs
This brought Yager's total charges to 19 felony counts from the initial three indictments plus five additional felony counts from the fourth indictment, for a total of 24 felony charges.
What happened
Bart Conrad Yager, a former Border Patrol agent, was arrested at his Willcox, Arizona, home on June 17, 2025, according to
As reported by the Tuscon-based NBC affiliate KVOA (archived), that fraud investigation later uncovered evidence that Yager allegedly paid a teenage minor—between 15 and 17 years old—over $12,000 for sex. The incidents reportedly occurred between July 2023 and March 2024 at Yager's home and Tucson-area hotels.
Under Arizona law, the age of consent is 18, meaning that sexual activity with someone under that age may be prosecuted as statutory rape. However, as of this writing, prosecutors had not filed such charges against Yager.
A July 3 statement (archived) by the Cochise County Attorney's Office confirmed Yager's employment status as a Border Patrol agent during the commission of these crimes. He remained in custody on a $250,000 cash bond.
2014 rape allegation
The claim's reference to "rape" charges was inaccurate because none of the three indictments included rape charges. However, according to an
Snopes has reached out to CBP for confirmation regarding the 2014 allegation. We will update this story if and when we receive a response.