A former Border Patrol agent criticized the internal culture of the federal agency, accusing it of promoting an environment of abuse and corruption. Since leaving the agency in 2001, Jenn Budd has become an advocate for migrants and demands accountability from her former employer.
“It took me about 15 years to really think about what I had done at the agency,” Budd told CBSN anchor Lana Zak on Wednesday. “The policies he enforced, the laws he enforced. Honestly, he had a lot of PTSD since he was on the border patrol.”
Budd recently detailed his experience on the Border Patrol in the San Diego Union-Tribune, where he described being raped by a partner and always retaliated against for his gender.
“The reality of what the border patrol culture is is very different from what they represent to the outside world,” he said. “Frankly, I don’t see how anyone can hear what this agency says when they have it children separated from their parents. For me, this is a line that should never have been crossed and I do not trust them.
Budd said his turning point was when he was shot during an overnight patrol on the US-Mexico border. The incident happened after she had investigated a high-ranking drug smuggling agent. After requesting a backup, the agent showed up and asked if he had “learned my lesson,” Budd said.
“It was obvious to me that he prepared it, but I don’t know who was doing the shooting,” Budd said.
Budd said the Border Patrol leadership would not let her hand the agent over to the FBI or the Drug Enforcement Agency for smuggling charges. He says he was instead offered a promotion which he declined. He left the post after six years with the agency.
“It simply came to our notice then [Customs and Border Protection] Home Affairs Commissioner James Tomsheck said the agency is the most corrupt agency in the United States. They have a narcissistic mindset. They refuse to admit any of the mistakes, they claim they are not racist, they are not sexist, they have no culture of rape, ”Budd said.
The border agency removed Tomsheck from his role in 2014 amid criticism that he did not investigate allegations of misuse of force by border agents. Tomsheck said his efforts to investigate abuses and corruption were hampered by the agency, which said it believed they were above the law.
Customs and border protection pushed back Budd’s characterizations.
“Accusations of abuse and corruption are taken very seriously, as the slightest hint erodes public confidence and subverts the Border Patrol’s ability to effectively fulfill its mission,” the agency said in a statement.