The incident gained national attention last September when photos emerged of agents on horses waving long leads near migrants crossing the border, where about 15,000 migrants had gathered under the Del Rio International Bridge.
In a 511-page report released Friday by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility, officials said they found no evidence that Border Patrol agents hit migrants with their reins, but said there was “unnecessary use of force.” . President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in September strongly condemned the actions, which were caught on video. One video captured an officer’s horse almost charging at one of the migrants, who fell backwards and into the water. This video shows police officers on the waterfront swinging long leashes as migrants cross the border on the US shore of the Rio Grande.
“It’s terrible what you saw,” Biden said at the time, adding: “I promise you: these people will pay … There is an investigation going on right now and there will be consequences.”
On Friday, CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus acknowledged “failures to make good decisions” at several levels of the agency.
“The report showed that there are gaps in good decision-making at multiple levels of the organization,” Magnus said in a statement. “Failures to maintain command and control of mounted patrol units, the lack of appropriate policies and training, and the overall chaotic nature of the situation in Del Rio at the time contributed to the incident. Several agents engaged in unprofessional or dangerous behavior, including one instance in which an agent used defamatory and abusive language.”
One Border Patrol agent “acted in an unprofessional manner by yelling comments related to the national origin and gender of a migrant, stating in part, “Hey! Using your wives? That’s why your country’s shit, you’re using your women for this,” the report stated.
The same officer also “acted in a dangerous manner by chasing the individual he had yelled at down the river bank, forcing his horse to narrowly maneuver around a small child on an inclined concrete ramp.”
The case has also been referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, as standard procedure, officials said Friday. The U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute.
Migrant flood into Del Rio
Since the start of the Biden administration, officials have grappled with the growing number of arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border amid mass migration in the Western Hemisphere. Within days last September, the administration was caught by surprise when thousands of migrants — mostly Haitians — piled into Del Rio.
CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility — which is charged with investigating alleged misconduct by CBP employees — released the results of its investigation Friday. The office reviewed videos and photos and interviewed witnesses, officers and CBP management, according to senior agency officials.
The report focused on Sept. 19, when for about 30 minutes, Border Patrol agents on horseback and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers tried to disperse a large group of migrants gathered along the Rio Grande.
During that time, there was about a 15-minute period when authorities tried to stem the flow of migrants, leading to a confrontation between agents and migrants, senior CBP officials told reporters Friday. Senior officials said an agent acted in an unprofessional manner by shouting comments and using profanity.
A mounted patrol unit from another Texas Border Patrol station was deployed the day before to help, according to officials, who said those agents had not worked together on horseback in some time. The investigation found that the Mounted Patrol team at the scene was acting at the request of the Texas Department of Public Safety, which, according to the findings, was inconsistent with the Border Patrol’s goals. Agents received approval from their supervisor, who received no further guidance from management.
Officials acknowledged Friday the unprecedented circumstances the Border Patrol faced last September, noting that the arrival of thousands of people in a remote area of the Texas-Mexico border presented operational challenges.
As a result, migrants were allowed to cross back and forth to Mexico to get water and food while agents tried to process the people. Some of the migrants crossing the river for their needs were involved in the September 19 incident.
Although the migrants were “well within the territorial boundaries of the United States,” the report states, mounted agents “used force or the threat of force to drive the migrants back into the Rio Grande River,” despite the fact that they did not threaten the agents . “Instead, they were trying to enter or return to the United States, some carrying tickets previously issued by the USBP, and many carrying food for their families.”
The investigation found no evidence that any migrant was ultimately denied entry to the United States or beaten with horse reins.
“There is no evidence that the BPAs involved in this incident struck, intentionally or otherwise, any migrant with their reins,” CBP found. “The horses involved in this incident were fitted with split reins that can be rotated by the rider to guide the horse’s movements. A BPA involved in this incident also reported that spinning these split occasions was a distancing tactic.”
Magnus said CBP is already reviewing policies regarding the use of mounted patrol units and strengthening command and control during large-scale operations.
CBP also referred the incident to the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general, who declined to investigate last year.
This story is current and will be updated.
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