Corrupt Border Patrol Agents Should Get Harsh Penalties
by Big Dog on Jul 15, 2006 at 12:09 Immigration
It is no secret that the US borders, especially those in the South, are porous. People walk in here ILLEGALLY all the time and there is little being done about it. Politicians who are more worried about being reelected than national security are either turning their backs on the problems or putting forth legislation that has little bite and rewards ILLEGAL activity. The politicians are more worried about upsetting the Latin American community and the ILLEGALS, which they view as votes (or the new of civil rights victims) than they are about ensuring our country’s laws are obeyed and that our national security is protected. With this in mind, is it any wonder that Border Control Agents are involved in corruption?
I am not making excuses for the agents but am only pointing out that if Congress can use ILLEGALS for personal gain, why not the agents? However, this mentality is what gives us liberals who excuse ILLEGAL behavior for a number of reasons. I actually know of a liberal who, while watching the people steal TVs and other items during Katrina, asked “Well why can’t they take it. It is only going to get ruined by the water.” That might be a great way to rationalize but the answer is BECAUSE IT DOES NOT BELONG TO THEM. If a bank caught fire could people run out with the money because it would just get burned up?
There have been a number of Border Patrol Agents involved in taking bribes to allows ILLEGALS and drugs into this country.
Federal law enforcement officials are investigating a series of bribery and smuggling cases in what they fear is a sign of increased corruption among officers who patrol the Mexican border.
Two brothers who worked for the U.S. Border Patrol disappeared in June while under investigation for smuggling drugs and immigrants, and are believed to have fled to Mexico. In the past month, two agents from Customs and Border Protection, which guards border checkpoints, were indicted for taking bribes to allow illegal immigrants to enter the United States. And earlier this month, two Border Patrol supervisory agents pleaded guilty to accepting nearly $200,000 in payoffs to release smugglers and illegal immigrants who had been detained.
I really do not care why these agents sell out but I do care that their greed is allowing people to get in this country ILLEGALLY and that drugs are getting on our streets because of their actions. I believe that any Border Patrol Agent who is convicted of these crimes should receive a MANDATORY 25 year sentence regardless of the amount of the bribe. If they allow ILLEGALS in and anyone is killed as a result then they should be put in jail for life and if the agent allows drugs in the country that agent should be sentenced as a drug smuggler and sentenced under Federal guidelines.
We need tough rules for people with whom we entrust our safety and security. Members of Congress are protected from their stupidity by the Constitution but Border Patrol Agents have no such protection. They are there to enforce the law and if they do not they should be punished more severely than the average guy on the street. If you want to stop people from committing crimes then you need to make the punishment so severe that it is not worth the effort. No one wants to go to jail for 25 years for taking 10 grand in bribes.
Congress should keep this in mind when debating the ILLEGAL immigration issue. ILLEGALS come here because they are not punished when caught. The only place they are really punished is in one part of Arizona and the Mexicans there are protesting people being locked up as unfair! We need to make ILLEGALS pay for their crimes. I think that instead of a wall on the Southern border maybe we should build a huge prison that we keep ILLEGALS in. That prison would be there when they cross and they will have a reminder of what awaits them if they come in ILLEGALLY. We could also use it to put the crooked Border Patrol Agents in.
Source: Washington Post
Big Dog, thanks for bringing this to the forefront today. We really do have to police our ranks so the speak. However US Border Patrol and Customs and Border Enforcement are working hard to weed out the bad apples. I figured there is more to the story than what the Washington Post is reporting. The Post’s story may have also been misrepresented or exagerrated because of political agenda of the reporter and his editors.
I am pro-law enforcement (most of my military career has been military law enforcement), very supportive of the United States Border Patrol, and would like to see “borders, language, and culture’ be a priority with our government and the political pundits who make the policies. The press enjoys planting the seed of distrust or controversy with law enforcement and military. They (the liberals and mainstream media) like to place the blame and paint authority as corrupt and suspicious. In reality there are bound to be a few bad apples that need to be weeded out. Any, the ICE and internal affairs are doing just that.
Historically, there is a small segment of any society or culture that crosses the line. But, the media likes to through the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak.
We have some problems. However, we also have solutions and our great nation has the means to overcome all that which is in front of us.
Thanks for the comment Bosun. Though I have seen a lot of corrupt cops (the Harford County Sheriff’s Department is full of them) I know there are many good ones. The biggest problems with most cops is that they write you a ticket or arrest you for things they do (spped, drink and drive, etc).
Though the WaPo is in no way a reliable source of news I believe that there were a few border patrol agents that took bribes or were paid to assist in illegal activities.
The point of the article is that as things get tougher more and more agents will be hired and more criminals will offer a lot more money. Agents need to know when they are hired that the punishment for them is severe and non-negotiable. This way we get people who are not shady and we have lain the ground work for any illegal activity.
I concur with all of your comments and with the article. It was well written. Accountablity is needed in all aspect of public service.
Hope we get a good round turn on the problem and get things straightened out. I was disappointed that our political pundits decided not to fund a southern border fence (and continue to ignore border, language and culture.) We need enforcement, tools to apprehend illegals, and a national desire to keep sacred our borders, laugage, and culture.
I was not trying to be difficult. The problem with illegal immigration is like the problem with illegal drugs. And, the criminals know how to identify and entice the weak willed. There are a lot of tools that are used to identify those who accept bribes. Perhaps we should use polygraphs more during routine security clearance updates?
The watchers do need to be watched and all have to be held accountable. Gosh, the problems we have with crooked politicians show how vulnerable we are. William Jefferson can be caught on tape taking bribes and when it comes to a seach warrant on his office, it took 45 days and a lot of political pandering and pundit mudslinging before the courts upheld the search.
**** the ACLU and all the ******* pundits who get in the way of reality based justice.
I was not being difficult, only supportive of the good USBP agents. BTW, your reporting and articles have always been fair.
Thanks Bosun,
I did not for one minute think you were being dificult or contrary. I appreciate another point of view and the clarity you provided by reminding the rest of us that there are only a few bad apples. I, of course, was focusing on the method to keep them honest.
Thanks for the comments and perspective. I guess I was guilty of one thing and it is human nature. The bad gets pointed out and we never hear about the good (sort of like the way the MSM covers the war). I have a philosophy that I used with my soldiers and it was find someone doing something right and point it out. I must have forgotten that for a brief moment….LOL
I had an uncle who worked the border patrol in Texas in the 70’s. The border patrol’s main focus during that time period was making sure that diseased cattle did not cross the border. They were not so concerned about the human tide crossing the border. It was such a point of frustration for him. He was an honest man as I believe most of the agents patrolling our borders are.
I firmly believe that any one of our country’s representatives, whether it be a police officer, border patrol agent, senator, “public servants” in general, should be accountable for their actions and judged by the highest and harshest standard.
What occurs when power is misused / abused is a breakdown of trust in our system of justice. It breeds distrust.
Are we all human and fallable – yes, assuredly so.
Are we all ultimately responsible for our own behavior? Despite the whiners who cry that it is someone else’s fault, I still believe that we all make our own choices – good, bad or indifferent.
In any organisation / office there will always be the few that are indeed corrupt, who when exposed, lend a bad name to the individuals that are not.
This is a classic example of the old adage, “One bad apple”.