CBP's Concealed Brutality
📰 THE STORY: The Intercept reveals how Customs and Border Protection (CBP) produces sanitized 'death reviews' of killings by its agents, avoiding accountability and offering Congress a bizarre Q&A that deflects from critical facts, as seen in the 2020 killing of Alex Pretti. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: This isn't an isolated incident. The U.S. Border Patrol, a component
of CBP, has a long history of violence, with over 200 documented deaths since 2005. For example, Anastasio Hernandez Rojas was beaten and tased to death by CBP agents at the San Ysidro port of entry in 2010, captured on video, yet the agents involved faced no charges. Double Standard: When governments like Iran or Venezuela are accused of human rights abuses, international bodies and Western media
demand immediate, transparent investigations and often call for sanctions. Yet, when U.S. agencies like CBP or ICE are implicated in deaths and abuses, the narrative shifts to 'internal reviews' and 'operational procedures,' insulating them from true external scrutiny or international condemnation. Follow the Money: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), CBP's parent agency, has an annual
budget exceeding $60 billion. This massive funding, much of it funneled through defense contractors for surveillance tech and weaponry, provides significant political insulation. Furthermore, private prison corporations, which profit from immigration detention, heavily lobby Congress, influencing policies that expand CBP's mandate and power without increasing accountability. 💡 THE PATTERN: This