“There’s no doubt that this was political,” Paxton told Fox News on Friday, joining other Republicans in demanding a mea culpa from the president. “And it’s really sad that these border agents who gave their lives to secure our border and defend Americans [sic]. And here they are punished. they should be rewarded,” he added. A 511-page report released by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Personal Accountability this week found the flogging claims to be false and cleared the agents. The investigation was sparked after images surfaced of agents on horseback in Del Rio, Texas detaining Haitian immigrants in September and President Biden falsely accused them of wrongdoing. “To see people being treated like … people being strapped down — it’s outrageous,” the president said at the time before vowing, “I promise you, these people will pay.” Border Patrol agents on horseback try to prevent Haitian migrants from entering the banks of the Rio Grande near the Acuna Del Rio International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas on September 19, 2021. PAUL RATJE/AFP via Getty Images Despite CBP’s findings, Biden insisted that officials will find something in the agents. Border Patrol union chief Brandon Judd accused Biden of “political work” against the four agents who face punishment ranging from a disciplinary letter to termination.
