Border Patrol Chief Says DHS Does Not Have Operational Control of the Border, Contradicting Mayorkas

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz testifies to the Florida Attorney General’s office as part of a lawsuit the state is bringing against the federal government, in Washington on July 28, 2022. Screenshot/The Epoch Times

The top U.S. Customs and Border Patrol official told Congress on March 15 that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not have operational control of the U.S.–Mexico border, contradicting an earlier claim by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz made the comments to the House Homeland Security Committee during a hearing in McAllen, Texas, a border town whose southern tip lies along the Rio Grande River.