“Do Not Question the Border Patrol” (Another Example of NACLA’s Superb Journalism)

COHA Continues to Honor Latin American Related Organizations Working in the Field:

 “Do Not Question the Border Patrol”

(Another example of NACLA’s Superb Journalism)

Written by: Todd Miller

Published on: December 7, 2011

Found on Border Wars Blog via NACLA webpage

Former U.S. Border Patrol agent Bryan Gonzalez, featured in a story by The New York Times on December 2, is a reminder that dissent does exist with U.S. immigration and drug enforcement agents. In Gonzalez’s case he made the mistake of expressing his personal opinion on drug enforcement to a colleague near the U.S.-Mexico boundary in southern New Mexico. Gonzalez suggested that legalizing drugs might help curb the unprecedented level of violence on the Mexican side. After his colleague reported his comments to superior officers, and the ensuing investigation, Gonzalez’s termination letter read that he held “personal views that were contrary to core characteristics of Border Patrol Agents, which are patriotism, dedication and spirit de corps.” CBP training of youth in patriotism, dedication, and spirit de corps.

While on one hand this incident offers a glimpse into the growing dissent among the rank and file of drug and immigration enforcement agents, it also reveals the fact that “personal views” do matter in Customs and Border Protection (CBP—the parent agency of the Border Patrol), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). For this department of 230,000 employees and growing, Gonzalez’s type of views will not be tolerated.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

NACLA describes itself:

The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA) is an independent, nonprofit organization founded in 1966 that works toward a world in which the nations and peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean are free from oppression and injustice, and enjoy a relationship with the United States based on mutual respect, free from economic and political subordination. To that end, our mission is to provide information and analysis on the region, and on its complex and changing relationship with the United States, as tools for education and advocacy – to foster knowledge beyond borders.

COHA’s take on NACLA:           

Every day we learn something new from NACLA, the grandfather of this business.