By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
Customs and Border Protection officials knew about a secret, sexist and demeaning Facebook group for at least three years but declined to say whether anyone was disciplined.
In 2016, Border Patrol agents reported offensive photos that included simulated sex acts and other offensive material, a current Homeland Security official told Politico. A former DHS officials also said he knew about the Facebook group during the past year.
Neither official was aware of any serious actions taken against members of the group, called “I’m 10-15,” which was first reported by ProPublica on Monday.
The Facebook group included offensive content and demeaning posts that targeted undocumented immigrants and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
One of the posts was an illustration of President Trump pushing the congresswoman’s head toward his crotch. In another post, a member encouraged agents to toss a “burrito at these bitches,” referring to members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus who were visiting detention centers.
In one post, commenters questioned the authenticity of a now-viral photo of a drowned man and his younger daughter.
When ProPublica approached CBP about the Facebook group, Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost denied knowing about it and pledged to launch an investigation.
Politico received screenshots of Facebook posts that were reported to CBP. One agent appeared in two photos, one of which showed him simulating sex with a training mannequin. The other showed the agent smiling and posing with what appeared to be a human skull.
In a third photo, an agent appeared to be defecting in the Arizona desert.
The reported photos resulted in a now-closed investigation by the Office of Professional Responsibility. But a CBP spokesperson declined to say whether any disciplinary action was taken.
