U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks stepped down Thursday, ending a 37-year federal career under a cloud of misconduct allegations that colleagues say undermined the agency’s core mission.
Banks announced his departure in a Fox News interview, framing it as a personal decision.
“It’s just time,” he said. “I feel like I got the ship back on course from the least secure, most disastrous, most chaotic border to the most secure border this country has ever seen.”
His exit, however, comes months after a Washington Examiner investigation alleged that Banks made a habit of traveling to countries such as Colombia and Thailand to pay for sex — and openly discussed those trips with subordinates. A retired Border Patrol agent told the Examiner that Banks had pitched the arrangement directly, describing international getaways that included “a bunch of prostitutes.” The ex-agent said he declined and distanced himself from Banks afterward.
CBP reportedly investigated the matter twice but closed it without action. A CBP spokesperson told the Daily Beast the allegations “date back more than a decade and were reviewed years ago,” adding: “The matter was closed.”
Current and former agents were more pointed.
If you’re partaking in those activities, you’re supporting the trafficking and exploitation of women,” one agent told the Examiner — a particularly sharp rebuke given that combating human trafficking is a central part of Border Patrol’s mandate.
Banks’ resignation is the latest in a rapid series of DHS leadership exits. Trump fired Secretary Kristi Noem in March and named Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma to replace her after Noem faced bipartisan congressional criticism over a $220 million advertising campaign and deadly shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis. Banks’ departure marks the third high-profile turnover within DHS in roughly two months.
CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott wished Banks well but did not address the misconduct claims. No successor has been named.
