A May 1 trial has been scheduled for a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer in Douthern Arizona who is accused of falsely claiming he was born in the United States.

Marco Antonio De la Garza Jr. has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of making false statements to authorities.

Authorities say De la Garza claimed he was born in Texas, even though he is a native of Mexico.

He is accused of lying about his citizenship in October during a background check update tied to his job.

De la Garza also is accused of making false statements about his birth country last year when he sought a U.S. passport.

He has worked for the federal agency since April 2012.

 

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