By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
Relatives of Brian Terry, the Border Patrol agent who was killed in a shootout with Mexican bandits in December 2010, criticized President Obama for “thinly equipped” Border Patrol agents.
“In Arizona, for example, there are only one and a half agents per every 10 square miles,” Kelly Terry-Willis said July 18. “This is unacceptable.”
Kent Terry continued, “Only one candidate is serious about border security, and that’s Donald Trump.”
PolitFact checked the assertion about Border Patrol staffing and concluded it was “false.”
PolitFact wrote:
Terry-Willis said, in Arizona,”there are only one and a half (Border Patrol) agents per every 10 square miles.”
Based on our calculations, she actually overestimates the number of Border Patrol agents compared to square miles. But that’s still misleading — and leaves out important context.
Most Border Patrol agents survey areas closer to the Arizona-Mexico border, not the rest of the state. The number of agents per linear mile is much higher.
We rate the statement False.
