Abuse Of Power At U.S. Borders: Former Agent’s Guilty Plea Sparks Outrage

Two former border agents have recently faced legal action in separate cases that have raised significant concerns about abuse of power and accountability along our borders.

In one case at the Eagle Pass border in Texas, 53-year-old Shane Millan entered a guilty plea to two charges of deprivation of rights under color of law. According to court documents and a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of New York, Millan, while conducting virtual hearings at the border, repeatedly forced women to lift their shirts and expose themselves in order to process their entry into the United States.

During one incident on August 10, 2023, he allegedly demanded that a woman, who had a one-year-old child, reveal whether she had a tattoo on her chest, insisting that she raise her top. Millan even looked up Spanish translations online to support his inappropriate requests, telling the victim, “OK... Welcome to the USA.” His actions, deemed a clear violation of constitutional rights, may result in a fine of up to $200,000 and up to two years in prison, with sentencing expected in July.

“Millan admitted that, while acting under color of law as a Border Patrol Agent, he willfully deprived multiple victims of their constitutional right to be free from unreasonable searches,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of New York said in a statement. “He told these women that his requests were for legitimate searches incident to admission into the United States, but he knew his demands to see the victims’ breasts were for his own gratification.”

In a separate matter, Hector Hernandez, a former U.S. Border Patrol agent, pleaded guilty in federal court in February to charges related to criminal misconduct at the border. Hernandez admitted to using his official position to facilitate the transport of illegal drugs and undocumented immigrants across the U.S.-Mexico border in exchange for cash. He acknowledged that he deliberately opened border fencing using his authority to allow the entry of both illegal immigrants and controlled narcotics from Mexico into the United States, and he transported these contraband items from the Southern District of California to other locations in the country.

Both cases have drawn attention to serious breaches of duty within border operations. Authorities emphasize that these actions undermine public trust and highlight the need for stringent oversight and accountability measures in border management.