A former border patrol agent has criticized the federal agency’s internal culture and accused it of promoting an environment of abuse and corruption. Since leaving the agency in 2001, Jenn Budd has been a lawyer for migrants, claiming liability from her former employer.
“It took me about 15 years to reflect on what I did in the agency,” Budd told CBSN anchor Lana Zak on Wednesday. “The policies I apply, the laws I apply. Honestly, I had a lot of PTSD when I was in the Border Patrol.”
Budd recently outlined her Border Patrol experience at the San Diego Union Tribune, where she described being raped by a colleague and retaliated against because of her gender.
“The reality of the Border Patrol culture is very different from what it presents to the outside world,” she said. ‘Honestly, I do not see how anyone can listen to what this agency says when they do children separated from their parents. To me, this is a line that should never have been crossed, and I do not trust them. ‘
Budd said her tipping point was shot during an overnight patrol along the U.S.-Mexico border. The incident happened after she investigated a senior drug smuggling agent. After asking for help, the agent showed up and asked if she had “learned my lesson,” Budd said.
“It was clear to me that he set it up, but I do not know who did the shooting,” Budd said.
Budd said the leadership of the Border Patrol does not allow her to report the agent to the FBI or the Drug Enforcement Agency. She says they rather offered a promotion which she turned down. She quits after six years at the agency.
‘The fact is, even their own [Customs and Border Protection] Home Secretary James Tomsheck said the agency is the most corrupt agency in the United States. They have a narcissistic mentality. “They refuse to admit any wrongdoing, claiming that they are not racist, that they are not sexist, that they do not have a culture of rape,” Budd said.
The border agency fired Tomsheck from his role in 2014 amid criticism that he did not investigate allegations of inappropriate use of force by border agents. Tomsheck said the agency has hampered its efforts to investigate abuse and corruption, which he believes is above the law.
Customs and border protection pushed back Budd’s characterization.
“Allegations of abuse and corruption are taken very seriously, as the slightest hint undermines public confidence and undermines the border patrol’s ability to defend its mission effectively,” the agency said in a statement.