Top border officials under investigation over ties to tequila maker

SPENDING TIME WITH A MEXICAN NATIONAL AT HIS TEQUILA FACTORY. HERE IS JULIA AINSLEY. >> Reporter: TONIGHT, THESE TOP BORDER PATROL OFFICIALS PICTURED AT A TEQUILA DISTILLERY IN MEXICO ARE NOW PART OF AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION SOURCES TELL NBC NEWS. THESE PHOTOS WHICH WERE POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA SHOW JASON OWENS, RIO GRANDE SECTOR CHIEF GLORIA CHAVEZ AND OTHERS WITH TEQUILA MAKER FRANCISCO JAVIER GONZALEZ. HE WAS WORKING TO CREATE A BORDER PATROL TEQUILA TO BE UNVEILED AT THE BORDER PATROL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION. INTERNAL INVESTIGATORS NOW ASKING WHETHER THE CBP OPERATORS PROPERLY DISCLOSED THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH A FOREIGN NATIONAL AND WHETHER THEY ACCEPTED ANYTHING THAT WOULD VIOLATE ETHICS RULES. THE TEQUILA PROJECT HAS BEEN SELVED AMID THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION. WHEN YOU SAW THESE PICTURES, WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THAT? >> SO THIS LOOKS A LITTLE ODD. THIS IS NOT THE SORT OF THING THAT NORMALLY HAPPENS, EVEN WITH PEOPLE OFFDUTY, UNLESS THERE IS SOME PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATION. >> Reporter: IN A STATEMENT, CBP SAYS IT HAS CONFIDENCE IN ITS LEADERS AND THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATES ALL ALLEGATIONS, AND TAKES APPROPRIATE ACTION TO ADDRESS ANY ISSUES IDENTIFIED THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF INVESTIGATIONS. IT ALL COMES DURING A TUMULTUOUS PERIOD FOR BORDER PATROL. IN A LAST YEAR AND A HALF, TWO TOP OFFICIALS LEFT THE AGENCY AFTER ALLEGATIONS SURFACED OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT. AND A WHISTLE-BLOWER REPORT RECENTLY QUESTIONED WHY A TOP MEDICAL OFFICER TRIED TO ORDER FENTANYL LOLLIPOPS TO BRING WITH HIM WHILE PROVIDING SECURITY FOR THE U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL. WHILE BORDER PATROL IS TEQUILA OFF THE MENU, THE AGENCY IS STILL PREPARING FOR ITS 100th ANNIVERSARY LATER THIS MONTH. THE CELEBRATION INCLUDES TWO GOLF TOURNAMENTS, A PARADE, AND BLACK TIE GALA, ALL SPONSORS BY DHS CONTRACTORS WHO GET HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION SAYS ITS FINANCE AND ETHICS

Channel: NBC News

Views: 21,098

Keywords: Health, International News, Lester Holt, Making A Difference, NBC Nightly News, National News, News, Nightly News, U.S. News, breaking news, evening news, politics, world news

Id: QtXVtVHOhsg

Length: 2min 8sec (128 seconds)

Published: Fri May 10 2024