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| Pictures taken by AFP photographer Paul Ratje showed Haitians going back and forth across the border to get food for their families, and finding themselves blocked by the horses. The images, which were widely shared online, appeared to show some of the mounted men on patrol whipping migrants with their reins.(Photo by= AFP) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] The US border agents on horseback who charged Haitian migrants last year used "unnecessary" force, a federal border control agency has found, BBC reported. The incident, which saw riders threaten migrants and force them back into the Rio Grande River in Texas, sparked comparisons to America's slavery era.
An inquiry by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) concluded agents probably violated US immigration law. At least four agents will reportedly face unspecified disciplinary measures. The prolonged probe had been criticized for its slow pace, which investigators blamed on a lack of access to official communications. In its findings released on Friday, CBP did not recommend any of its officers be fired but acknowledged "failures to make good decisions at multiple levels of the organization".
"Failures to maintain command and control over Horse Patrol Units, lack of appropriate policies and training, and the overall chaotic nature of the situation at Del Rio at the time contributed to the incident," CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus said in a statement. Mr Magnus added that his agency has already begun to revise its practices, training, and operational methods with regard to the incident, including limiting the use of horse patrols. Officials rejected that particular claim, however, and also added there was "no evidence that any migrants were forced to return to Mexico or denied entry" to the US.
