Border Agents Protest Newspaper Ads for Information About Corrupted Officers

INTERNATIONAL November-December 1997

U.S. Border Patrol agents are protesting advertisements placed in Mexican newspapers that offer a reward for information about corrupt U.S. law enforcement officers (Associated Press, "U.S. border inspectors object to being the target of rewards, Washington Post, October 12, 1997, p. A28).

The advertisements were placed by the Border Corruption Task Force overseen by the U.S. attorney's office in San Diego. Amalia Meza, a deputy to U.S. Attorney Alan Bersin, said that the advertisements were designed to "root out corruption wherever we find it." However, Robert Tobias, president of the National Treasury Employees Union said, "This ad virtually gives drug smugglers the green light by telling them they can put any or all inspectors under suspicion and thus force them to defend themselves, simply because somebody with their own agenda accuses them."