Exclusive: This Congressman Explains How Environmental Regulations Are Making Border Patrol’s Job A Lot Harder
Environmental regulations are inhibiting Border Patrol agents from effectively stopping human and drug smugglers at the southern border, a congressional subcommittee chairman who recently visited the area told The Daily Caller News Foundation Wednesday.
Environmental regulations prevent Border Patrol from entering protected lands in vehicles, from building roads to access wilderness areas, and from filling tunnels cartels use to smuggle drugs, agents told Rep. Bruce Westerman, who chairs the House Committee on Natural Resources' Oversight Investigations subcommittee.
"We're certainly handicapping ourselves," the Arkansas Republican told TheDCNF in an interview. Smugglers are "crossing the border illegally, there's illegal drugs involved a lot of times. There's all kinds of laws being broken and I don't think they mind breaking the environmental rules, either."