Abstract
The purpose of the study is to provide an empirical characterization of law enforcement corruption along the U.S. borders. Data were analyzed on 156 criminal cases of officers and agents employed by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Results from the present work advance the understanding of the significantly under-studied topic of border law enforcement corruption in the U.S. context. The majority of the cases were related to organized crime activities. In terms of sex, age, and location, there were significant differences between CBP’s two main workforce components, corrupt customs officers, responsible for customs operations at the country’s official entry points, and border patrol agents, who patrol the border between ports of entry. Both types of employees working along the southern border of the U.S. with very short histories of service were more likely to be involved in drug-related corruption than their senior counterparts who were instead prone to immigration-related corruption.
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Notes
Currently office of professional responsibility (CBP OPR).
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Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Sherry Ryan, Jonathan Wexler, and Moises G. Cardenas for their valuable comments and suggestions. The author would also like to thank Andrew Becker, an investigative reporter without whom this research would not be possible.
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This study was supported by the SDSU Imperial Valley Borderlands Institute.
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Jancsics, D. Law enforcement corruption along the U.S. borders. Secur J 34, 26–46 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41284-019-00203-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41284-019-00203-8