A U.S. Border Patrol agent who heads the organization that represents 18,000 men and women who protect the border said Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) is their advocate in Congress.
Border Patrol Agent Brandon Judd, in his capacity as president of the National Border Patrol Council, said, “We have to have an advocate in Congress, which I believe is Ted Cruz.” Judd’s comments came during a July 17 interview on C-SPAN about illegal immigration and border security.
Agent Judd discussed several of President Donald Trump’s agenda items relating to the securing the border and reducing illegal immigration. One critical part is the border walls promised by the president and how those will be paid for.
“If you look at the ideas [Cruz] has come up with, he is talking about illicit traffic,” Judd explained. “This is a huge drug problem. The opioids flowing across the southwest border right now.”
Judd referenced Cruz’s suggestion that funds seized from drug cartels be used to pay for the border walls.
“What Ted Cruz has proposed is any funds that are seized through illicit traffic would then go toward the border wall,” he said. That’s ingenious. It is the outside of the box thinking that I think we need in Congress.”
He said that advocates like Cruz are what is needed to make certain the cost of building the wall does not become a “burden on the taxpayers. I think [Cruz’s idea] would be great,” he said.
The junior senator from Texas named his proposed bill, “Ensuring Lawful Collection of Hidden Assets to Provide Order” (EL CHAPO, Breitbart Texas reported in April.
“The U.S. Government is currently seeking the criminal forfeiture of more than $14 billion in drug proceeds and illicit profits from El Chapo, the former leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel who was recently extradited to the U.S. to face criminal prosecution for numerous alleged drug-related crimes, including conspiracy to commit murder and money laundering,” Cruz stated.
Later in the interview, Judd reemphasized Cruz’s “El Chapo” act. “If that bill does pass,” Judd stated, “then we alleviate the tax burden on the taxpayers and we are able to build the wall in a manner that I think is ingenious.”
“If we want to think outside the box,” Judd concluded, “we are going to have to support people like Ted Cruz, who came up with an ideal that allows us to build a wall without taxpayer funds.”
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.
(Disclosure: Breitbart Texas sponsored the Green Line podcast for the NBPC in an effort to provide a platform for agents to inform the public about the realities on the border and what Border Patrol agents face. Director Brandon Darby received an award from the Laredo chapter of the NBPC for his work in helping to defend and bring a voice to Border Patrol agents. Breitbart News assisted in covering funeral costs for a slain Border Patrol agent previously. Darby and Breitbart senior management have directly stated and shown that helping to bring a voice to the expressed needs and interests of Border Patrol agents is a top priority–personally, individually and together through Breitbart News.)