Tell Me Again Why A Fence Is A Bad Idea

Last I knew it was pretty much impossible to bribe a fence. Unfortunately, that is not the case with the agents we have guarding our borders, it seems.

SAN DIEGO — Federal law enforcement officials are investigating a series of bribery and smuggling cases in what they fear is a sign of increased corruption among officers who patrol the Mexican border.

Two brothers who worked for the U.S. Border Patrol disappeared in June while under investigation for smuggling drugs and immigrants, and are believed to have fled to Mexico. In the past month, two agents from Customs and Border Protection, which guards border checkpoints, were indicted for taking bribes to allow illegal immigrants to enter the United States. And earlier this month, two Border Patrol supervisory agents pleaded guilty to accepting nearly $200,000 in payoffs to release smugglers and illegal immigrants who had been detained.

Authorities say two trends are at work, causing their concern that larger problems may be developing: The massive buildup of Border Patrol agents in recent years has led to worries that hiring standards have been lowered. And, as smugglers continue to demand higher and higher fees to bring illegal immigrants into the United States, they are intensifying efforts to try to bribe those guarding the border.

The investigations come at a time when the United States is focused on the security of its borders. Congress is mulling legislation that would pour billions of additional dollars into securing the border, including the construction of hundreds more miles of barriers. The Border Patrol, which has tripled in size in the past decade, is due to grow 50 percent in the next six years.

One thing to notice here is the repetition of the "lowering standards" meme. It's also being used by the left-leaning folks to describe what's happening with the military. It's a particularly insidious charge, almost impossible to refute. How does one prove a negative? The use of the vague "authorities" have "worries" is a red flag on a charge like this. There is no evidence presented that standards have been lowered, but there are "worries". The real tip-off is the sentence, "And, as smugglers continue to demand higher and higher fees to bring illegal immigrants into the United States, they are intensifying efforts to try to bribe those guarding the border." Frankly, there is more money out there and intensified efforts to bribe people. That's a more likely source of the problem than vague "worries". But I digress.

"The smugglers have binoculars and spotters, you name it," said James Wong, who heads the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Office of Professional Responsibility in San Diego, which investigates corruption allegations. "They scan the line looking for a weak inspector, someone, for example, who likes to flirt with women. And then they will send a test person, a chatty female. She shows up and says, 'My friend needs to visit a doctor, but she doesn't have papers, can you help?' They will get friendly, and before you know it, they own the employee."

Despite the recent spate of cases around San Diego, the number of federal corruption cases against agents from Customs and Border Protection and the Border Patrol has not increased since the 2004 fiscal year, according to Kristi Clemens, assistant commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Washington. So far in fiscal 2006, there have been nine cases. There were 21 the year before and 22 in 2004.

So the number of corruption cases hasn't increased but there are "worries"? Which is it? Here's a thought: build a fence. They can't be bribed.