Outgoing Tucson Police Chief Roberto Villaseñor and his fellow members of the Customs and Border Protection Integrity Advisory Panel, have issued a report that suggests policies that will “place Border Patrol agents in further danger,” acording to the National Border Patrol Council.
The report by the Panel, a subcommittee of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, is being repudiated by agents.
The Integrity Advisory Panel members includes co-chairs William “Bill” Bratton (Police Commissioner for the City of New York), Karen P. Tandy (Retired DEA Administrator), Colonel Rick Fuentes (14th Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police), John Magaw (Domestic and International Security issues consultant), other legal and law enforcement experts, and Villaseñor. The report concluded that Customs and Border Protection (CBP), needs to improve its use-of-force policies and training and it may be vulnerable to corruption due to the lack of adequate oversight personnel.
The Council issued a statement calling for CBP “to respond to real problems, not ones perceived or that are part of an agenda. Hard facts will prove that the U.S. Border Patrol is a model law enforcement agency. Instances of corruption are rare and Border Patrol agents use lethal force seven times less than the national average.”
The Council stated, “In typical Customs and Border Protection fashion however, they are throwing numbers at a problem by calling for the hiring of 350 Internal Affairs investigators. The National Border Patrol Council sees this recommendation as premature and calls on CBP to review its internal investigation capabilities. Overlapping areas of responsibility need to be eliminated, integrity issues amongst investigators eliminated, and clear, concise guidance given to all employees on how investigations will be used.”
The National Border Patrol Council says it will oppose the recommendations that “would restrict the ability of Border Patrol agents to use lethal force to defend themselves. This Union will use every means at its disposal to counter policies that place Border Patrol agents in further danger.”
The Council argues that “Simply hiring more investigators will not solve the problem of corruption and abuse within CBP. The institutional culture within DHS OIG, CBP OIA, and the many other managerial investigative units needs to dramatically change. These groups cannot operate outside of the law and contractual limits and expect to be effective.”
The agents have also come under fire from some immigration activists who, according to agents, “choose to attack Border Patrol agents for speaking the truth.”
That truth includes facts the agents have recently reported:
• An increase number of unaccompanied minors crossing illegally in the Rio Grande Valley.
• An increased number of those other than Mexican (OTMs) attempting to cross in New Mexico and West Texas.
• The increased numbers of illegal entries and assaults against Border Patrol agents nationwide.