By Steve Neavling
A top CBP official resigned in October following allegations of sexual misconduct against multiple women who worked with him, NBC News reports.
The agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility is now investigating Tony Barker, the former acting chief of Border Patrol’s law enforcement operations directorate, on allegations that include threatening one female employee to get sexual favors.
That employee alerted DHS to the allegations, leading to more women coming forward with similar complaints, three sources told NBC News.
Barker served for two decades before quietly leaving his post in October.
“The allegations that I pressured any woman for sexual favors or victimized them are entirely and unequivocally false,” Barker said in a statement. “I am proud of my 21 years of service with the U.S. Border Patrol. I am now taking this time to focus on my family and seek other opportunities.”
A CBP spokesperson said, “As of Oct. 14, 2022, Tony Barker is no longer an employee of the U.S. Border Patrol.
“We do not tolerate misconduct within our ranks. When we discover any alleged or potential misconduct, we immediately refer it for investigation and cooperate fully with any criminal or administrative investigations. This is the case whether the alleged misconduct occurs on or off duty. Federal privacy laws prohibit discussion of individual cases.”
