Comer Requests Transcribed Interviews with Seven Chief Patrol Agents Battling Biden’s Border Crisis
WASHINGTON—House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) sent a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Acting Commissioner Troy Miller requesting transcribed interviews with seven U.S. Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agents currently responsible for managing critical sectors of the U.S. border. The uniqueness of each sector on the southern border demonstrates a need for the committee to obtain additional information to guide legislative solutions.
“On February 7, 2023, two Chief Patrol Agents from U.S. Border Patrol sectors along the southern border testified at a hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability regarding their sectors and how they have responded to the unprecedented crisis at the southern border. This hearing took place after the Department of Homeland Security tried to prevent the four Chief Patrol Agents invited by the Committee from testifying. The Committee accommodated DHS, accepting only two Chief Patrol Agents as witnesses, representing the Tucson and Rio Grande Valley sectors. Both witnesses provided candid testimony, but understandably confined their statements and responses to the circumstances of their respective sectors and the unique challenges they confront in those sectors,” wrote Chairman Comer.
President Biden and his administration’s policies created the worst border crisis in American history. U.S. Border Patrol Chiefs recently testified about a crisis that has set records for the arrests of illegal border crossers, migrant deaths, narcotics seized, and suspected terrorists arrested trying to illegally cross the border. Their testimony included many qualifiers specific to their sectors and language illustrating the differences between sectors.
“The uniqueness of each sector demonstrates a need for the Committee to obtain additional information regarding other sectors on the southern border. As one witness emphasized, ‘if you’ve seen one Border Patrol sector, you have only seen one Border Patrol sector.’ One of the witnesses testified that Border Patrol agents have valuable information and experience to guide lawmakers in search of legislative solutions. The Committee believes Chief Patrol Agents managing other sectors have additional, valuable information that will assist the Committee in fully understanding the crisis at the southern border,” continued Chairman Comer.
Chairman Comer is requesting that the following Chief Patrol Agents be made available for transcribed interviews:
- Aaron M. Heitke
Chief Patrol Agent – San Diego Sector
- Gregory K. Bovino
Chief Patrol Agent – El Centro Sector
- Patricia McGurk-Daniel
Acting Chief Patrol Agent – Yuma Sector
- Peter Jaquez
Chief Patrol Agent – El Paso Sector
- Sean L. McGoffin
Chief Patrol Agent – Big Bend Sector
- Jason D. Owens
Chief Patrol Agent – Del Rio Sector
- Carl E. Landrum
Chief Patrol Agent – Laredo Sector
Read the letter to CBP Acting Commissioner Miller here.
###