Senate Confirms Rodney Scott To Lead Customs And Border Protection
The U.S. Senate has confirmed Rodney Scott as head of Customs and Border Protection.
Scott formerly served as Border Patrol Chief and currently commands the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) biggest enforcement department, which has approximately 65,000 workers.
CBP consists of two divisions: the Border Patrol, which is in charge of protecting the nation’s borders between ports of entry, and the Office of Field Operations (OFO), which is in charge of security at ports of entry.
Scott was confirmed on a 51-46 party-line vote, with all Republicans in favor and all Democrats opposed.
Scott was forced out of his post as Border Patrol Chief during the Biden administration after opposing politically motivated changes at CBP. In April 2021, Acting CBP Commissioner Troy Miller informed Scott that the agency would use the phrase “undocumented immigrant” instead of the legally accurate “illegal alien.”
At the time, Chief Scott sent an internal memorandum to Miller arguing that, “The U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) is and must remain an apolitical federal law enforcement agency…Despite every attempt by USBP leadership to ensure that all official messaging remained consistent with law, fact, and evidence, there is no doubt that the reputation of the USBP has suffered because of the many outside voices. Mandating the use of terms which are inconsistent with law has the potential to further erode public trust in our government institutions.”
Scott will retire as Chief of the Border Patrol in August 2021.
After leaving the Border Patrol, Commissioner Scott remained a major advocate on the need to protect our borders, repeatedly calling for a return to Trump-era practices. In the autumn of 2021, he will begin working as a Distinguished Senior Fellow for Border Security at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Scott spoke in front of Congress on many occasions and made countless media appearances advocating for tougher immigration enforcement.
Along with Safe Third Country agreements and the Remain in Mexico program, which requires asylum applicants to wait in Mexico for court proceedings, Scott backed border wall building, which remains a top objective in a second Trump administration.
Commissioner Scott sounded a positive note following the Senate vote. In a statement, Scott said: “I’m honored that the United States Senate has confirmed me, and I want to thank President Trump and Secretary Noem for their trust and unwavering leadership. I started my career on the front lines, and now I am ready to lead my CBP family with integrity and a clear mission to defend our sovereignty, enforce the law, and put America first.”
President Donald Trump likewise praised Scott when announcing his nomination.
“Rodney served nearly three decades in the Border Patrol, building vast experience and knowledge in Law Enforcement and Border Security. Rodney served as the 24th Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, where he implemented Remain-in-Mexico, Title 42, Safe Third Agreements, and achieved record low levels of illegal immigration,” Trump said.
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Scott’s confirmation comes at a critical time for CBP.
As the country struggles to recover from four years of open-borders policy, the agency plays a crucial role in fulfilling President Trump’s promise to restore order at the border.
In the next weeks and months, FAIR hopes to collaborate closely with the Trump administration and CBP to undo the damage caused by the Biden administration’s practices.
Recently, the Supreme Court
approved the Trump administration’s request to pause a lower court injunction that had blocked deportations of individuals to third countries without prior notice.
The decision marks a near-term victory for the administration as it aims to implement its immigration crackdown swiftly.
The Court ruled 6-3 in favor of staying the injunction, with Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting.
The case involved a group of migrants contesting their deportations to third countries—nations other than their countries of origin.
Governor Convicted of Money Laundering Deported To Mexico 
A federal indictment unsealed Monday charges former Tamaulipas governor Tomas Yarrington Ruvalcaba, 56, and Mexican construction firm owner Fernando Alejandro Cano Martinez, 57, with conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
The two are also accused of conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to defraud, and conspiracy to make false statements to federally insured U.S. banks. A federal grand jury in Brownsville returned the indictment in May, and it was unsealed Dec. 2, according to an August press release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The two are also accused of conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to defraud, and conspiracy to make false statements to federally insured U.S. banks. A federal grand jury in Brownsville returned the indictment in May, and it was unsealed Dec. 2, according to an August press release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas and Robert L. Pitman of the Western District of Texas.
The case is the result of a multi-agency probe involving ICE Homeland Security Investigations, the DEA, IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, and the Texas Attorney General’s Office, the release said.
Yarrington Ruvalcaba, 56, and Mexican construction firm owner Fernando Alejandro Cano Martinez, 57, have been indicted on RICO charges, along with conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to defraud, and conspiracy to make false statements to federally insured U.S. banks. A federal grand jury in Brownsville returned the indictment in May, and it was unsealed Dec. 2.
According to the filing, Yarrington began taking large bribes from major traffickers, including the Gulf Cartel, in the late 1990s. In exchange, he allegedly allowed their multi-ton drug operations to flourish, including cocaine smuggling into the U.S. through the Port of Veracruz from 2007 to 2009, said ICE.
The indictment also alleges Yarrington accepted bribes from commercial businesses. Cano Martinez, whose company Materiales y Construcciones Villa de Aguayo secured major public works contracts under Yarrington’s governorship, is accused of funneling kickbacks to him, including real estate purchased under front names, the agency’s release added.
Yarrington additionally faces charges of conspiracy to violate the Controlled Substances Act, conspiracy to structure financial transactions, and two counts of bank fraud. Cano Martinez faces separate bank fraud charges.
Yarrington governed Tamaulipas, the Mexican border state across from Brownsville and Laredo, from 1999 to 2004, the ICE release noted further.
The indictment alleges Yarrington Ruvalcaba gained access to stolen public funds in late 2004, using part of the money to purchase a Sabreliner 60 jet the following January. About $300,000 from that transaction was transferred into a U.S. bank account, while another $5 million in pesos was allegedly sent to Cano Martinez in spring 2005.
Prosecutors say Yarrington and Cano Martinez began acquiring U.S. assets as early as 1998, concealing ownership through front names and shell companies established after 2005. The assets included residences, aircraft, vehicles, and real estate in several Texas counties, financed in part through fraudulent multimillion-dollar loans from Texas banks. Bank accounts under aliases were allegedly used to pay ongoing expenses, including loan payments and condominium fees.
The indictment details more than $7 million in transfers into U.S. accounts tied to these entities. Additional shell companies were allegedly created to seek further loans, while structured deposits under $10,000 at First National Bank in Edinburg, Texas, were used to evade federal reporting requirements, said the agency.
Neither Yarrington nor Cano Martinez is currently in U.S. custody, and arrest warrants remain outstanding. Homeland Security Investigations has urged anyone with information on their whereabouts to call 956-542-5811, or 001-800-010-5237 from Mexico.
If convicted, the defendants face decades in prison: up to 20 years for RICO and money laundering, 30 years for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, at least 10 years on drug conspiracy charges, and five years for currency structuring, ICE said.
“The indictment also includes a notice of forfeiture. Some assets identified in the indictment already have been seized by the United States in civil forfeiture actions over the course of the investigation, including: about 46 acres in Bexar County, a condo on South Padre Island, a 2005 Pilatus airplane, and residences in Hidalgo and Hays counties,” said the release.