Border agents unevenly spread on boundary

'The agents are needed'
Border communities in Texas have seen a frightening rise in drug violence spilling across the border, with assassinations and kidnappings in the United States.

Jaime Castillo, a Border Patrol spokesman in Washington, said the allocation of agents is "intelligence-driven" and done according to requests from the individual sectors.

"They're the best experts to predict what they're going to need to manage their area of operation," he said.

Mark Endicott, a spokesman for Border Patrol in San Diego, said the sprawling city's close proximity to the border, favorable climate and many transportation options make the area unique. He declined to discuss whether San Diego's needs outweigh those of other sectors but said, "As far as the activity going on here in San Diego, the agents are needed."

Observers say, however, politics plays a role in how agents are allocated.

"In many cases, they're very political," said T.J. Bonner, president of the agents union. "Congress giveth and taketh away, so you can't just thumb your nose at Congress and say, 'We're going to make these decisions based only on our enforcement needs.'"

San Diego is represented by Rep. Duncan Hunter, a Republican who has been among the most outspoken proponents of increased border security and fences. But a spokesman said the congressman has not pushed for more agents for San Diego.

"It's nothing we've done personally in this office," said Hunter spokesman Joe Kasper.

Texas leaders, under pressure from border communities with close ties to Mexico, have pushed Customs and Border Protection to collaborate more with communities affected by the fence planned along the border and to make sure systems for those entering legally run smoothly — the kind of cajoling that has sometimes put them at odds with the agency.

Cornyn said he has asked the agency how it assigns agents.

"They say they have a formula, but I'm not convinced or persuaded that this is altogether a rational distribution of resources. There's a certain amount of whoever screams and yells gets taken care of first," the senator said.

Cornelius, the university researcher, said politics probably do play a part in staffing. The entire GOP congressional delegation from San Diego "would have screamed bloody murder if the Border Patrol had reduced San Diego sector staffing levels appreciably," he said.

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