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U.S. NEWS Saturday 13 OctOber 2018
Border Patrol misconduct

stats point to Texas

By COLLEEN LONG and NO- other form of discipline in 1-year-old son. Prosecutors
MAAN MERCHANT the 2016 and 2017 budget are seeking the death pen-
Associated Press years. alty. Burgos-Aviles pleaded
WASHINGTON (AP) — The The average rate of disci- not guilty.
Border Patrol sector in Lar- plinary actions in Laredo Border Patrol officials have
edo, Texas — where two was 11.3 per 100 employ- said the suspects were out-
agents were accused this ees in the 2016 fiscal year liers who do not represent
year of multiple murders and rose to 13 per 100 em- the agency or the sector.
in separate cases — disci- ployees in 2017. In both The same sector also drew
plined employees more on years, Laredo was above attention in May after the
average over two years the national average for Border Patrol changed its
than any other major sec- those years, which was 8.1 story about why an agent
tor, according to data and 7.4, respectively. shot and killed a 19-year-
released by U.S. Customs Laredo had the second- old Guatemalan woman, This file photo provided by the Webb County Sheriff’s Office
and Border Protection on highest rate of any sector Claudia Gomez Gonza- shows Juan David Ortiz, a U.S. Border Patrol supervisor who was
Friday. in 2016, behind only Miami, lez, who had crossed the jailed Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, on a $2.5 million bond in Texas.
The findings were part of a a comparatively small sec- border near Laredo. Of- Associated Press
comprehensive look at mis- tor with no land border to ficials initially claimed the criticism over what some
conduct at the 60,000-em- patrol. agent had been attacked lawmakers and reform ad-
ployee law enforcement It had the highest rate of “by multiple subjects us- vocates said was a lack
agency that includes the all sectors in 2017. It had al- ing blunt objects,” only to of oversight of agents and
Border Patrol. The data most the same number of revise that statement two a culture that condoned
showed overall there was disciplinary incidents that days later and remove the abuse and misconduct.
a decline in substantiated year as the neighboring claim. About 155 employees
complaints of misconduct Rio Grande Valley sector, Customs and Border Pro- were removed during 2016
and fewer arrests of agents which is the nation’s busiest tection is the largest U.S. and 2017 over misconduct
between the budget years corridor for unauthorized law enforcement agency claims. Scores more retired.
2016 and 2017. crossings and has nearly and is tasked with enforc- The reports do not specify
“The disciplinary reports twice as many employees. ing immigration and trade what claims prompted the
show that the vast major- Last month, Laredo agent laws. The largest compo- removals.
ity of CBP agents and of- Juan David Ortiz was ar- nents are the Border Patrol, About 250 employees were This undated photo provided
ficers exemplify our core rested and accused of tar- whose agents arrest peo- arrested on criminal charg- by the Laredo Police
values, perform their duties geting women believed to ple caught crossing the es during the budget year Department shows Ronald
with integrity, and that ev- be prostitutes in what pros- border illegally between 2016 and 245 in 2017, for Anthony Burgo Aviles.
ery employee is account- ecutors say is the work of a ports of entry, and the Of- crimes including corrup- Associated Press
able to upholding the high serial killer. He has been ac- fice of Field Operations, tion, drugs and alcohol and the reports.
standards of professional cused of killing four wom- which manages the ports. sexual misconduct. Those Officers and agents are us-
conduct both on and off- en, and prosecutors say The data released Friday numbers declined from 336 ing deadly force less, and
duty,” said Melvin Harris, he likely used his service are part of an overall ef- during 2012. non-lethal force, like pep-
deputy assistant commis- weapon in the crimes. Ortiz fort by Customs and Bor- Despite the decline, the ar- per spray, is also down dra-
sioner of human resources has not yet been indicted der Protection to increase rests are a continued con- matically. Officials say it’s
management at CBP. and his attorney didn’t im- transparency and hold em- cern for the department, due in part to revamped
The data do not include mediately respond to a ployees more accountable which is working to address training on how and when
2018. But they showed the message seeking com- for misconduct following the problem, according to to use force.q
Laredo sector, one of the ment.
nation’s largest, was expe- And Ronald Anthony Bur-
riencing disciplinary issues gos-Aviles, another super-
even before the high-pro- visory agent, was arrested
file cases. in April and charged with
According to the reports, capital murder on alle-
there were 435 instances gations that he killed a
where an agent in Laredo 27-year-old woman with
was dismissed, suspended, whom he was romantically
demoted or given an- involved, as well as their