Border agent falsely accused of whipping Haitian migrants receives award

[KARAH RUCKER]

A LITTLE LESS THAN THREE YEARS AGO BORDER AGENTS WERE FALSELY ACCUSED OF WHIPPING HAITIAN MIGRANTS AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER.

NOW, ONE OF THOSE AGENTS HAS BEEN LAUDED WITH A BORDER PATROL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD BY THE D-H-S.

THE AGENT, WHOSE IDENTITY HAS BEEN KEPT CONFIDENTIAL SINCE THE INCIDENT, WAS COMMENDED FOR HIS INTELLIGENCE WORK ON HUMAN SMUGGLING CASES.

YOU MAY RECALL THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THIS PICTURE. 

FIVE AGENTS WERE PHOTOGRAPHED ON HORSEBACK DURING AN INCIDENT AT THE BORDER IN DEL RIO, TEXAS.

ACCUSATIONS FLEW, CLAIMING THE AGENTS WERE USING WHIPS ON HAITIAN MIGRANTS. 

THE PHOTOGRAPHER WHO TOOK THE PICTURES SAID THEY DID NOT WITNESS ANY WHIPPING. THE INFORMATION WAS RELAYED TO D-H-S SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS. HOWEVER, MAYORKAS DID NOT INCLUDE THE INFORMATION IN HIS PUBLIC STATEMENTS ON THE INCIDENT.

MAYORKAS INITIALLY CRITICIZED THE ACTIONS OF THE AGENTS.

BUT LATER WALKED BACK HIS STATEMENTS. ACKNOWLEDGING HE HAD NOT SEEN THE IMAGES BEFORE MAKING THE REMARKS. MAYORKAS DID NOT SPECIFICALLY APOLOGIZE TO THE INDIVIDUAL AGENT, WHO RECEIVED THE AWARD.

PRESIDENT BIDEN CONDEMNED THE IMAGES, SPARKING WIDESPREAD CRITICISM.

FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT IN SEPTEMBER 2021, THE AGENTS WERE REASSIGNED FROM THE FRONT LINES AND BARRED FROM INTERACTING WITH MIGRANTS.

AN INVESTIGATION BY CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION FOUND WHILE THE AGENTS DID USE UNNECESSARY FORCE NO MIGRANTS WERE HARMED.

AND AGENTS DID NOT USE WHIPS NOR THE REIGNS OF THEIR HORSES AS WEAPONS.

DESPITE THE ORDEAL, THE AGENT IN QUESTION CONTINUED HIS JOB.

FOCUSING ON INTELLIGENCE WORK TO COMBAT SMUGGLING. HIS EFFORTS WERE RECOGNIZED BY HOMELAND SECURITY  WITH THE AWARD LAST WEEK.

A D-H-S SOURCE TOLD THE NEW YORK POST:

I FIND IT HILARIOUS AND RIDICULOUS THAT ALMOST THREE YEARS LATER, A BORDER PATROL AGENT WHO WAS ACCUSED OF BEING RACIST AND SO VILIFIED BY THIS BIDEN ADMINISTRATION NOW WINS AN ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR HIS EFFORTS TO PREVENT SMUGGLING, BEFORE HE GETS AN APOLOGY.

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