A Border Patrol agent, Rhonda L. Walker, stationed in Laredo, Texas was arrested by federal officials on February 12. According to the probable cause document, “Walker used her official position to assist a foreign national into the country.” Walker was paying the women to be her housekeeper and nanny, according to the criminal charges.
An anonymous caller contacted Customs and Border Patrol officials on June 4, 2020 to report that Rhonda Walker was employing a live-in caretaker who was undocumented. [1] According to the probable cause statement, Walker was already under surveillance since at least June 17, 2020. Surveillance ended on February 4, 2021.
Federal investigators identified the caretaker as Yadira Yesenia Treviño-San Miguel. Treviño San Miguel was using a border crossing card (mica) to cross the border. [1] The border crossing card allows foreigners to visit the United States on a temporary basis, usually for up to 72 hours at a time. Border crossing cards do not allow the holders to live or work in the U.S.
According to video at the border, Walker met Treviño-San Miguel at the middle of the border on January 2, 2021 and escorted her through the inspection border. Investigators discovered that Rhonda Walker used a colleague’s computer credentials to log ther caretaker into the United States. [1]
Investigators also discovered that on January 20, 2021, Walker wired an unknown quantity of money to Yadira Treviño-San Miguel’s family in México. [1]
When Yadira Treviño-San Miguel tried to cross the border on February 12, 2021, she was detained. She admitted to investigators that she was working for Walker performing “childcare and housekeeping duties.” [1]
Treviño-San Miguel also told investigators that on January 2, 2021, Walker helped her evade the Covid-19 restrictions by escorting her through the border.
When investigators questioned Rhonda Walker, she told them that the housekeeper was related to her. They are not related. Walker admitted that Treviño-San Miguel worked for her at her mother’s home. [1]
Walker also admitted to investigators that she escorted her housekeeper through the border on January 2, 2021. [1]
Border Patrol Misconduct
Border Patrol criminal activities have been well-documented for years. A culture of racism has also been documented within the ranks of the Border Patrol.
Several Border Patrol agents were recently arrested for crimes involving Q-anon conspiracies. Several others have been arrested in recent months for crimes such as child molestation, rape and threatening to kill a supervisor. These recent arrests are part of a long list of criminal border patrol agents.
A 2018 U.S. Customs and Border Protection internal report shows that by the Patrol’s own investigations, nearly “nine percent of the total CBP workforce engaged in some degree of misconduct.” [3]
The CBP report noted that “an unacceptable number of CBP employees are arrested each year for violating federal, state, or local law.” [3] In 2018, 268 border patrol agents were arrested. Eleven of those were arrested twice. One CBP employee was arrested four times and another five times. [3]
The 2018 arrests represent an eleven percent from FY2017 to FY2018. [3]
In total there were 286 arrests in 2018. Of those 129 were for drug related charges and seven were for corruption. [3]
Corruption At CBP
Corruptions among the ranks of the Border Patrol has been on the rise. A 2015 internal Homeland Security Department report states that there “is data indicating that arrests for corruption of CBP personnel far exceeds, on a per capita basis, such arrests at other federal law enforcement agencies. [4]
Before the Biden administration can effectively makes changes to America’s immigration policies it must first look to ensure that the integrity of the agencies that enforce the nation’s immigration laws are above reproach.
The Border Patrol is riddled with criminals within its midst. The Biden administration must reform CBP to ensure that America’s immigration enforcement face reflects the nation’s immigration laws honestly and fairly.
Footnotes:
- Francisco Cantu, Special Agent, CBP, Office of Professional Responsibility, “Statement in Support of Probable Cause,” February 16, 2021.
- “Interim Report of the CBP Integrity Advisory Panel,” Homeland Security Advisory Council, June 29, 2015.
- “U.S. Customs and Border Protection Discipline Analysis Report, Fiscal Year 2018,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Human Resources Management.
- “Interim Report of the CBP Integrity Advisory Panel,” Homeland Security Advisory Council, June 29, 2015.
Leave it to the Border Patrol terrorists to single out a woman (!) who is helping someone, and ignore the sex trafficking, harrassment, violence, under the influence on the job, and other blatant, rampant problems in their ranks.