Fault Lines investigates secretive units within the US Border Patrol accused of covering up agent misconduct

"Impunity at the Border: Inside US Border Patrol’s ‘Cover-up’ Unit", 2022
Secretive units within the US Border Patrol have operated in the shadows for decades and there is growing evidence that Critical Incident Teams (CIT) have been used to hide agent misconduct. Fault Lines investigated an August 2021 car crash involving Border Patrol that killed two people. A survivor tells his story for the first time, contradicting Border Patrol’s version and raising serious questions about the role of these teams after fatal encounters. Human rights lawyers, who first exposed CIT units in 2021, argue that they obstructed the investigation into Anastasio Hernandez-Rojas’s death. He was hogtied, beaten and tased by agents in 2010. Since then at least 145 people have died in deadly pursuits or use-of-force incidents with Border Patrol. No agent has been convicted in any of those deaths.

This is a rogue organization and somebody should have stopped it years ago.

James Wong, Former Deputy Assistant, Commissioner of Internal Affairs, Customs and Border Protection
Family Members of Anastasio Hernandez Rojas vs. United States
Watch The Stream's Is it time to increase accountability at the U.S. Border Patrol?
Laila Al-Arian, executive producer | Mark Scialla, producer | Singli Agnew, director of photography | Warwick Meade, editor | Josh Rushing, correspondent
Maria-Pugo-Anastasio-Hernandez-Rojas-Impunity-Border-Patrol-Josh-rushing-fault-lines-jazeera Maria Pugo’s husband Anastasio Hernandez Rojas died after being held down, beaten and tased by Border Patrol agents near the border of Mexico just south of San Diego in 2010. Agents seized the phones of witnesses on a nearby pedestrian bridge, deleting photos and videos of the incident—only one known recording of the beating survived. Maria and their five children argued before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on November 4, 2022 in an unprecedented case against any US law enforcement agency, that “United States law enforcement officials used the power of the state to kill Anastasio, cover it up, and deny the family access to justice.” July 14, 2022.
Lesvin-Gamez-Impunity-Border-Patrol-josh-rushing-fault-lines-jazeera Lesvin Gamez, July 21, 2022
jenn-budd-Impunity-Border-Patrol-josh-rushing-fault-lines-jazeera Jenn Budd, author of Against the Wall, and former Border Patrol agent, July 16, 2022
lesvin-gamez-border-patrol-impunity-josh-rushing-fault-lines-jazeera Lesvin Gamez, among 10 undocumented passengers, broke his neck when he was ejected from the SUV Erik Molix was driving and spent six weeks in a coma. When we located him he had never told anyone the story of what actually happened that night—his story is very different from the Border Patrol’s official record, but seems to be backed up by a number of facts from their own report. July 21, 2022.
Maria-Pugo-Anastasio-Hernandez-Rojas-Impunity-Border-Patrol-josh-rushing-fault-lines-jazeera Maria Pugo, July 14, 2022
Maria-Pugo-Anastasio-Hernandez-Rojas-Impunity-Border-Patrol-josh-rushing-fault-lines-jazeera Maria Pugo, July 13, 2022
angie-simms-Erik-Molix-Impunity-Border-Patrol-josh-rushing-fault-lines-jazeera Angie Simms called every hospital in El Paso looking for her son Erik Molix, an American citizen, after he didn’t respond to attempts to reach him for days. Angie says the hospital didn’t disclose Erik’s presence, alone and on life support, because Border Patrol agents had placed him on a non-public list after his vehicle overturned while being chased by Border Patrol agents in southern New Mexico. By chance Angie’s sister was working at the hospital and found him. Angie says tears streamed Erik’s cheeks when she entered his room. As difficult as it was to end his life support, Angie told me she was thankful to be at her son’s side in his final moments. The ACLU of Texas obtained a copy of the Border Patrol’s investigation that is riddled with inconsistencies. At the time of our interview, Border Patrol had still not contacted Angie about what happened on the night of Erik’s crash, July 18, 2022.
angie-simms-Erik-Molix-Impunity-Border-Patrol-josh-rushing-fault-lines-jazeera A photo of the vehicle Erik Molix was driving after it rolled over into a pecan orchard in Southern New Mexico from the Border Patrol investigation into the crash, July 19, 2022