By Steve Neavling
Hundreds of U.S. border officers are currently under investigation for alleged involvement in serious misconduct, including trafficking, bribery, and sexual assault.
According to official documents obtained by Newsweek, 211 CBP officers are facing accusations that range from severe crimes like drug smuggling to non-criminal misconduct.
Among the cases are 17 allegations of domestic violence, 11 of sexual assault, and 10 instances of migrant smuggling. Additionally, 11 agents are under investigation for the physical abuse of detainees, while 13 have been linked to criminal gangs.
The scope of the alleged misconduct could be even broader. Newsweek has learned that CBP is also investigating accusations of crimes against children. However, these cases were not categorized in the data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and are classified as “other criminal” by CBP because they don’t fit into the agency’s standard criminal categories.
The findings, covering the 2023-2024 fiscal year, have led to growing demands for an FBI-led investigation.
“The number of CBP agents under investigation for a large variety of transgressions is extremely concerning,” Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva told Newsweek. “If the reports are true that the investigations are being led by the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility, I worry the integrity of the investigations is at risk.”
