CBP chief says report on Border Patrol agents accused of ‘whipping’ migrants will come out in coming weeks

The head of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Friday that a report into the investigation into the conduct of Border Patrol agents who were falsely accused of whipping Haitian migrants last year will be released. in the next weeks.

CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus was speaking on a press call on the shutdown of Chinese-made forced labor products in the United States and was asked about the ongoing investigation that has been launched late last year on mounted officers charged by a number of Democrats – including President Biden. – of whipping Haitian migrants crossing the river.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS CALL FOR BRIEFING ON DHS MOVE TO DISCIPLINE BORDER PATROL AGENTS IN ‘WHIP’ CONTROVERSY

Magnus indicated that the question was out of bounds for the subject of the call, but still gave a short answer.

“I will simply indicate that the report you are referring to, we expect to release in the coming weeks. We are following administrative processes that protect the due process rights of affected employees,” he said. “But we’ll drop that.”

Magnus, who took office earlier this year, did not comment on the investigation or the conduct of the officers – who were dispatched to the Del Rio River amid the Haitian migrant crisis in September last year .

Footage has circulated on Twitter of officers trying to stop migrants from entering the United States and, in one case, grabbing a migrant’s shirt. The controversy escalated as some Democratic media and lawmakers misidentified the officers’ split reins, which they use and twirl to control and steer the horse – and falsely claimed officers were using ‘whip’ on the horses. immigrants.

homeland security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas initially backed the officers but later changed his message, saying the footage “troubled me deeply” and adding that “you can’t cock a horse” against migrants.

BORDER PATROL AGENTS SMOKE AS DHS PREPARES TO PUNISH OFFICERS Caught In ‘WHIP’ CONTROVERSY

Mayorkas announced that the horses would no longer be used at Del Rio and the officers were transferred to the office pending investigation into their conduct. He would go on to promise that the investigation would be “completed within days, if not weeks.” It’s still not finished.

Vice President Harris and President Biden also weighed in on the officers, with Biden ratcheting up the pressure on embattled officers by repeating the false whipping allegations, and also previewing what he hoped would be the outcome of the investigation.

DHS to Punish Border Patrol Agents Charged in Haiti Migrant ‘Flogging’ Incident

“To see people being treated the way they have been, horses barely running, people tied up – it’s outrageous,” Biden told reporters, make a whipping motion with one’s hand.

“I promise you these people will pay,” he said of the officers. “There will be an ongoing investigation now and there will be consequences. There will be consequences.”

The Office of Inspector General declined to pursue criminal charges against the officers and the investigation has since been transferred to the DHS Office of Professional Responsibility. Fox News reported this week that DHS is preparing to discipline “several” officers over it – though it’s unclear on what offense.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Officers should be hit with “administrative violations”. Fox is informed that DHS will present its proposals for discipline to the officers, and the officers will then have the option of responding and either accepting the discipline or fighting it.

Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.