"Arrests of border agents on the rise."

Here is an excerpt from Rick Jervis's article in the USA Today:

"A rising number of U.S. border enforcement officers are being arrested on corruption charges as Mexican drug cartels look to bribes as a way to get around tougher enforcement, border officials say. nvestigators arrested 21 U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers on corruption charges in the fiscal year that ended last September, up from eight in the previous 12 months, according to CBP. This year, 14 have been arrested. Since 2004, 84 officers have been arrested and 62 were convicted, says James Tomsheck, assistant commissioner for internal affairs at CBP, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security. That number represents a small fraction of the more than 52,000 people employed by the agency, which enforces U.S. law along the 2,000-mile border with Mexico... Another troubling trend: Mexican syndicates are trying to plant their own people in the agency. Investigators have arrested at least four agents since 2007 who they believe were sent by drug cartels to infiltrate the CBP, Tomsheck says." Link to Full Article

Analysis: I am always saddened and disappointed to read stories like this, as it's incredibly difficult to acknowledge that some of your own people - as few in number as they are - are dirty. But the reason I wanted to highlight this story is not to make our federal agencies look bad. It's to point out that no country and no agency is immune to the lure of easy money. Some US agents and cops that work along the border have financial problems like everyone else, and in some cases worse - gambling debts, four kids that need to go to college, a home going into foreclosure, etc. Those are NOT excuses for accepting a bribe or compromising our nation's security. But some do it, and it's a sad testament to the power that Mexican DTO money has over people. I'm sure it's hard for these agencies to publicize those arrests and convictions, but it serves two very positive and powerful purposes. First, it serves as an example to other agents - if you break the rules, we'll try to catch you and we will punish you. Second, it sends a message to the American people that this type of behavior is unacceptable, and it will not be swept under the rug to save face. I can't speculate on what percentage of dirty agents are actually caught. I imagine that the majority of cases are reported by fellow agents, which has to be so hard to do, as it's an age-old rule among cops that you never bust a fellow cop. I really admire those that, as difficult as it is, want to do the right thing and are willing to suffer the consequences for it.

Comments

[Samuel Logan]

One sheriff in a border county in Arizona told me that these corruption cases were a crime of omission. That is, all they have to do is look the other way when a certain vehicle comes through, and they receive $5,000 a week.

Other cases, where CBP agents actually get caught with drugs or caught helping move illegals through the US is unacceptable and just plain stupid on their part. And I agree, the money is hard to turn away during an economic crunch, especially when it's offered again, and again. But once you take a "bite" they've got you forever...