Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Rudy Lopez was arrested on Monday on charges of harassment. These charges were part of a chronic situation which had previously been reported to the Border Patrol chain of command in the Laredo Sector.
Numerous grievances, Unfair Labor Practices, and complaints had been lodged against Lopez only to be swept under the rug by Laredo Sector management. Lopez would then file complaints against the complaining agents and Union representatives through Customs and Border Protection’s Joint Intake Center. This systemic abuse of the grievance procedure and Joint Intake Center left agents with no other recourse than to contact local law enforcement authorities. After finding probable cause that Lopez had committed these crimes, he was arrested and booked before posting a $3,000 bond.
The National Border Patrol Council and its subsidiary locals seek to resolve issues at the lowest level possible. In cases like this one, where Border Patrol managers condone, aid, and cover-up the criminal actions of other managers, there is little recourse but to seek assistance from other law enforcement agencies.
