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<div class="header reader-header reader-show-element"> <font
size="-2"><a class="domain reader-domain"
href="https://theintercept.com/2019/07/05/border-patrol-facebook-group/">https://theintercept.com/2019/07/05/border-patrol-facebook-group/</a></font>
<h1 class="reader-title">Border Patrol Agents Tried to Delete
Racist and Obscene Facebook Posts. We Archived Them.</h1>
<div class="credits reader-credits">Ryan Devereaux - July 5,
2019<br>
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<p><u>The scrubbing began quickly.</u> At 10:55 a.m.,
ProPublica <a
href="https://www.propublica.org/article/secret-border-patrol-facebook-group-agents-joke-about-migrant-deaths-post-sexist-memes">published
a story</a> reporting the existence of a secret,
invitation-only Facebook group for current and former
Border Patrol agents that featured vulgar, violent,
and misogynistic content directed at migrants and
lawmakers.</p>
<p>A little over two hours later, Rep. Bennie G.
Thompson, chair of the House Committee on Homeland
Security, called for active-duty agents responsible
for the posts to lose their jobs. Minutes after that,
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the agency that
oversees the Border Patrol, said in a tweet that the
inspector general’s office at the Department of
Homeland Security was “immediately informed” of the
“disturbing social media activity,” and an internal
investigation has been launched.</p>
<p>Back in the “I’m 10-15” Facebook group, evidence that
might inform such an investigation was quickly
disappearing. The name of the group — radio lingo
Border Patrol agents use when they take a migrant into
custody — was changed to “America First X 2,” and
the group was archived.</p>
</div>
<p><a
href="https://theintercept.com/collections/the-war-on-immigrants/"><span><span>Read
Our Complete Coverage</span><span>The War on
Immigrants</span></span></a></p>
<div data-reactid="201">
<p>But the archived group, the version that
investigators might examine, was not the same one that
existed prior to the ProPublica article.</p>
<p>The meme that group member Thomas Hendricks shared of
President Donald Trump forcing Rep. Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez to perform oral sex was gone — though
ProPublica’s tipster managed to grab that one.
Investigators would not, however, see that Carrizo
Springs resident Hector Garcia Jr. had posted
something similar, sharing a meme of the congresswoman
performing oral sex through a detention center fence
in a mock Porn Hub preview (“Lucky Illegal Immigrant
Glory Hole Special”). Similarly, investigators would
not find the post from user Jorge Nunez: a video of a
Trump impersonator grabbing the crotch of a woman in a
red, white, and blue bikini, in which Nunez wrote,
“Grab her right in the pussy…MAGA!!”</p>
<p>Hendricks deleted his account soon after the
ProPublica story broke. Garcia and Nunez did not
respond to requests for comment.</p>
<div>
<p><img
src="https://theintercept.imgix.net/wp-uploads/sites/1/2019/07/hendricks-garcia-nunez-1562268434.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&q=90"
alt="hendricks-garcia-nunez-1562268434"></p>
<p class="caption">Some personal information, names,
and URLs have been redacted for privacy.</p>
</div>
<p>Anybody trying to look further into “I’m 10-15” after
reading the ProPublica article would never see the
Washington Post article that a poster named Bobby
Matthews shared about asylum officers raising concerns
about the administration’s “Remain in Mexico” policy.
Matthews wrote “Fucking liberal traitors” and “more
lies from the tonks” — using Border Patrol slang for
migrants, referring to the sound a flashlight makes
when it connects with a migrant’s skull — to which
Nelson Pou III, the Del Rio, Texas-based lead singer
of the band Semper Acerbus, replied, “Fuck the whole
country of Honduras.”</p>
<p>Matthews did not respond to a request for
comment. Pou declined to comment.</p>
<p>And investigators would never see the posts that came
right after the ProPublica story was published, in
which they talked about “the rat” in their midst, and
Mike Herrero accused ProPublica of trying to “do away
with the First amendment.”</p>
<p>“The media is really the enemy because they know
better and just feed the dissonance,” he wrote.</p>
<div>
<p><img
src="https://theintercept.imgix.net/wp-uploads/sites/1/2019/07/rat-herrero-1562268813.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&q=90"
alt="rat-herrero-1562268813"></p>
<p class="caption">Some personal information, names,
and URLs have been redacted for privacy.</p>
</div>
<p>These are just a handful of examples of posts from
the days before, and shortly after, the ProPublica
story went live. The Intercept gained full access to
the invitation-only Border Patrol group weeks ago and,
for more than a month has collected and archived
hundreds of posts that show that the content shared
with ProPublica was no aberration. In fact, the Border
Patrol group was a hotbed for the kind of right-wing
memes and anti-immigrant hate common in some corners
of the internet. The only difference is that the group
— which had nearly 10,000 members at the time it was
exposed and has since dwindled to a little over 4,000
— was meant to be used by current and former federal
law enforcement personnel.</p>
<p>“Where Old Patrol meets New Patrol,” the about
section of the group read. “Post your pics. BP and AMO
[Air and Marine Operations] related. Funny, serious
and just work related. We are family, first and
foremost. This is where the Green Line starts, with
us. Start a chat or discussion, or use the group as a
message board or Q and A session. We are here for each
other. Remember you are never alone in this family.”</p>
<p>The Intercept messaged 28 Facebook users named in
this article, whose accounts remained active in the
immediate wake of the ProPublica article, and
requested comment. Although Facebook prohibits the use
of aliases, it is possible that members of the
group used assumed names. The Intercept is publishing
the names of individuals quoted in this story as
displayed on the “I’m 10-15” group to accurately
portray the contents of the postings.</p>
<p>Of the individuals contacted whose accounts were
still active, only two responded, both declining to
comment. Several of the members of the Facebook group
cited in this story had previously posted photos of
themselves on their profile pages in uniform, whether
with the Border Patrol or other law enforcement
agencies or military units, or openly listed their
employment for the federal government on their
profile. At least three identified themselves as
retired.</p>
<p>On Wednesday morning, Kevin McAleenan, the acting
secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
tweeted “that any employee found to have compromised
the public’s trust in our law enforcement mission will
be held accountable.” The Intercept shared the names
and posts of 31 users with Customs and Border
Protection and requested confirmation of whether these
individuals were currently employed by the agency. In
a statement to The Intercept, a spokesperson for CBP
said the agency was reviewing screenshots from
the group and that some of the individuals appeared to
be active duty employees of the agency.</p>
<p>“The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office
of Professional Responsibility (OPR) is investigating
information provided to the agency regarding postings
to a private Facebook group,” the statement read. “CBP
has been provided several screenshots of Facebook
postings, with posting names visible. OPR has been
working to determine if these posting Facebook
identities are connected to current CBP employees.
Several of the names in the screenshots do appear to
match names of current CBP employees. Additionally,
there are postings attributed to accounts bearing
common names, that appear to match to multiple CBP
employees. CBP is fully investigating these postings
and will hold accountable any CBP employee who is
found to have engaged in misconduct.”</p>
<p>On Wednesday, Politico <a
href="https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/03/border-agency-secret-facebook-group-1569572">reported</a>
that CBP officials and Border Patrol leadership knew
about the secret group for up to three years, with one
former DHS official stating that CBP’s public affairs
office monitored the “I’m 10-15” group “as a source of
intelligence” to see “what people are talking about.”</p>
<p>Posts on the “I’m 10-15” group routinely fantasized
about violent or deadly action that could be taken
against migrants.</p>
<p>Just a few weeks before the deaths of a father and
his daughter while crossing the Rio Grande captured
national attention, the Border Patrol Facebook group
was filled with posts about alligator sightings in the
river. “Medieval solutions to a modern problem,”
Israel Valentin wrote. “Let’s stock the river with
gators,” suggested John Tedford, who lists himself as
a retired Border Patrol agent. “This needs to be crowd
funded,” added Riley Glöck, whose recent postings
indicate that he operates helicopters for the federal
government. “Can the river ecosystem support sharks?”</p>
<div>
<p><img
src="https://theintercept.imgix.net/wp-uploads/sites/1/2019/07/Tedford-Glock-Ponch-Mowery-1562268897.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&q=90"
alt="Tedford-Glock-Ponch-Mowery-1562268897"></p>
<p class="caption">Some personal information, names,
and URLs have been redacted for privacy.</p>
</div>
<p>Sierra Mowery contributed a meme featuring Parkland
shooting survivor David Hogg.</p>
<p>“Is this kid still alive?” asked Mark Ponch, whose
Facebook profile indicates that he works in the El
Paso sector. “Figure by now he’d have committed
suicide already.”</p>
<p>“He hasn’t made Hillary mad yet,” Mowery replied.
Reached by phone, Mowery told The Intercept she and
her colleagues were not authorized to speak to the
press.</p>
<p>On the topic of dead children, Eric Castillo
separately posted a video of a large, child-sized
portion of meat being wrapped in foil and then roasted
over an open flame. The foil resembles the mylar
blankets that unaccompanied children are given in
Border Patrol custody.</p>
<p>“Little tonk blanket ideas!” Castillo wrote.</p>
<div>
<p><img
src="https://theintercept.imgix.net/wp-uploads/sites/1/2019/07/Castillo-1-1562268987.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&q=90&w=808&h=1024"
alt="Castillo-1-1562268987"></p>
<p class="caption">Some personal information, names,
and URLs have been redacted for privacy.</p>
</div>
<p>Castillo’s account appears to be deleted, though his
posts appeared elsewhere in recent months, including a
heated comment section about whether Border Patrol
agents can use lethal force against migrants who throw
rocks — the president previously <a
href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2018/11/01/equating-rocks-with-rifles-trump-proposes-radical-new-rules-of-engagement-for-troops-along-border/">encouraged</a>
them to do so.</p>
<p>When a member of the group raised the point that “’I
was just following orders’ hasn’t been an effective
defense in about 72 years,” Bob Wilkinson, who lists
his former occupation as Border Patrol supervisor and
his current occupation as a U.S. government
contractor, replied, “Are you a PA or a fucking
snowflake.” Wilkinson went on to write that while he
had “never killed anyone,” he had “used my share of
force.”</p>
<p>“The fact that the President recognizes rocks as
deadly weapons is a good thing,” he wrote.</p>
<div>
<p><img
src="https://theintercept.imgix.net/wp-uploads/sites/1/2019/07/Castillo-Wilkinson-1562342289.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&q=90&w=817&h=1024"
alt="Castillo-Wilkinson-1562342289"></p>
<p class="caption">Some personal information, names,
and URLs have been redacted for privacy.</p>
</div>
<p>At that point, Castillo joined the conversation,
lamenting about missing an opportunity
to shoot a migrant while on the job. “Bro im gonna go
home alive to my family and stop the threat!!” he
wrote. “See it how you will. Ive been rocked before
and missed my chance to pop a round before due to me
falling to avoid the rock.. Fucker ran back to the
river..But I learned for next time.. Don’t be a
freaking debbie downer bro..”</p>
<p>Wilkinson described a similar experience, writing to
Castillo, “as I was drawing my trainee who was on my
right grabbed my arm and screwed up my draw. They were
both lucky that day.”</p>
<p>“BRO NEXT TIME ITS ON,” Castillo wrote back.</p>
</div>
<div data-reactid="211">
<p>In what could be of interest to investigators down
the line, several members of the Border Patrol group
shared photos of documents that included identifying
information of migrants in Border Patrol custody.</p>
<p>It began with Angel Avilez, whose personal page
suggests a recent posting at the Border Patrol’s
Carrizo Springs station, sharing a meme that read,
“YOU KNOW WHAT? I’M JUST GOING TO SAY IT […] HONDURANS
HAVE THE STUPIDEST NAMES EVER.” The post generated
more than 100 comments.</p>
<div>
<p><img
src="https://theintercept.imgix.net/wp-uploads/sites/1/2019/07/Avilez-1562269197.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&q=90&w=880&h=1024"
alt="Avilez-1562269197"></p>
<p class="caption">Some personal information, names,
and URLs have been redacted for privacy.</p>
</div>
<p>Members shared Central American names that they
considered stupid. Multiple users asserted that
“Guats” — Guatemalans — also have names equally worthy
of ridicule. Before long, group members, including
Gabriel Gonzalez, Zack Smith, Anthony Ramos, Rick Mora
Jr., and Michael Scherer, were sharing photos of
documents — including what appears to be intake forms
— that showed migrants’ names. Christian Macias added
photos of government IDs belonging to five different
individuals to the comment thread.</p>
<div>
<p><img
src="https://theintercept.imgix.net/wp-uploads/sites/1/2019/07/names-1562269388.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&q=90"
alt="names-1562269388"></p>
<p class="caption">Some personal information, names,
and URLs have been redacted for privacy.</p>
</div>
<p>“Non of these ignorant people can spell or write but
somehow they think they deserve to be let in,” wrote
Jose Ortiz, whose profile picture is a gold badge that
reads “Inspector 211 S.F. Police.”</p>
<div>
<p><img
src="https://theintercept.imgix.net/wp-uploads/sites/1/2019/07/Ortiz-1-1562342344.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&q=90&w=752&h=1024"
alt="Ortiz-1-1562342344"></p>
<p class="caption">Some personal information, names,
and URLs have been redacted for privacy.</p>
</div>
<p>Seething anger at asylum seekers and migrants in
general was the common thread in the “I’m 10-15″
group. On May 31, a user shared an image of the U.S.
embassy in Honduras on fire. “Easy enough to do the
same thing to all their asylum paperwork…” Gamel
Lechner commented. When a member of the group later
asked where a friend could drop off food and supplies
for people in detention in Los Angeles, he was met
with dozens of trolling replies.</p>
<p>“They are like wild animals, stop feeding them and
they wont hang around and shit on the street,” wrote
Richard Tyler Jr. — Tyler’s Facebook profile
identified him as a former trainer for the Border
Patrol, a former sheriff’s deputy, and a former
sergeant in the U.S. Army.</p>
<p>In late May, user Waldemar Ortiz shared a meme that
said “HUNGARY LOCKS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN SHIPPING
CONTAINERS TO STOP ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSINGS.”</p>
<p>“Can we apply this here?” Ortiz wrote.</p>
<p>Ortiz’s personal Facebook page indicates that he
previously served in the U.S. Marine Corps and now
serves in the U.S. Army. In 2018, he captioned a photo
in his Marine Corps uniform with the
hashtags “fuckmuslims” and “fuckislam.” He has since
posted dozens of right wing memes, including one
suggesting that Rep. Ilhan Omar is a terrorist.</p>
<p>Some of the members of the Border Patrol group
appeared to deeply hate the populations they are
mandated to work with.</p>
<p>On May 24, Adam Matott, whose personal page includes
photos of himself in a Border Patrol uniform and
t-shirt, posted, “The excitement of leaving McAllen
really sinks in … when the flight is full of OR
tonks.”</p>
<p>The post sparked a conversation. Jess Cabe, who
listed himself as a retired Border Patrol agent,
wrote, “Wait til they start following you at the next
airport to get you to help them find their connection,
they’re waving that paperwork in your face like it’s
the winning lottery ticket.”</p>
<p><img
src="https://theintercept.imgix.net/wp-uploads/sites/1/2019/07/Matott-Cabe-Kotwicki-1562269832.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&q=90&w=749&h=1024"
alt="">
</p>
<p>“One of them asked my partner if she had the right
gate,” Matott replied. “New fucking low point in my
career.”</p>
<p>“Mine too,” Cabe replied. “I actually lost it in the
airport and told him to get the fuck away from me loud
enough to have other passengers leave the gate area.”</p>
<p>Matott replied, “At our gate a family unit came and
sat near us. So we swiftly stood up, and relocated our
seats.”</p>
<p>“Should have grabbed it and ripped it up. Fuck them,”
added Mike Kotwicki, who deleted his account before
The Intercept could message him.</p>
<p>“Way too many cameras and witnesses,” Cabe wrote.</p>
<p>The conversation about migrants on airplanes
continued in another thread.</p>
<p>“The wife flew out last week said people were pissed
cus it smelled like shit,” Jesus E. Nunez wrote.</p>
<p>JD Lopez, whose personal page includes photos of
himself in a CBP helicopter crew uniform, replied:
“Smells like detention.”</p>
<div>
<p><img
src="https://theintercept.imgix.net/wp-uploads/sites/1/2019/07/Nunez-Lopez-1562269862.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&q=90"
alt="Nunez-Lopez-1562269862"></p>
<p class="caption">Some personal information, names,
and URLs have been redacted for privacy.</p>
</div>
<p>Commentary on current events made up a significant
chunk of the content on the “I’m 10-15” group.</p>
<p>In recent weeks, that translated into an uptick in
outrage over the number of children and families
entering Border Patrol custody and, in particular,
hate directed at Rep. Ocasio-Cortez. In addition to
the sexually violent posts, members of the group
created numerous memes out of photos of Ocasio-Cortez
during a 2018 visit to a border detention center.
Group member Brian Fawcett, who lists his current
location as Laredo, Texas, and previously posted a
photo in his Border Patrol uniform on his personal
page, shared one such image. It included Ocasio-Cortez
accompanied by Pepe the Frog, the internet meme
synonymous with white nationalist internet culture.</p>
<div>
<p><img
src="https://theintercept.imgix.net/wp-uploads/sites/1/2019/07/Fawcett-5-1562345225.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&q=90&w=1024&h=680"
alt="Fawcett-5-1562345225"></p>
<p class="caption">At left, one of Fawcett’s posts to
the Facebook group “I’m 10-15”. At right, a selfie
Fawcett posted to his personal Facebook page, in
uniform.</p>
<p class="caption">Some personal information has been
redacted for privacy.</p>
</div>
<p>Recently, when it was announced that Ocasio-Cortez
would be making another visit to detention centers
along the border, the Facebook group reacted in
typical fashion. Chad Wamsley posted a comment that
said “AOC” and included a drawing of a man defecating
into a woman’s anus.</p>
<p><img
src="https://theintercept.imgix.net/wp-uploads/sites/1/2019/07/Wamsley-1562342383.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&q=90&w=1000&h=780"
alt="">
</p>
<p>“Poop in her to show dominance,” the drawing said.
Wamsley listed his occupation as United States Border
Patrol agent. Justin Blue Ortiz, who lists his
employer as the Department of Homeland Security and
his residence as El Paso, Texas, suggested a “station
wide bang in because the stress of their visit is too
much.”</p>
</div>
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