Trump’s Customs & Border Protection Pick Under Investigation for 2010 Custody Death

President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Rodney Scott, faced scrutiny during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Wednesday. While he emphasized a commitment to focusing on the agency’s workforce for effective trade and border management, the committee’s top Democrat, Senator Ron Wyden, accused him of covering up a controversial death that occurred in a CBP facility he supervised in 2010.

If confirmed, Scott would play a central role in implementing the president’s border enforcement strategy. In his opening statement, the former Border Patrol chief pledged to prioritize the wellbeing of CBP personnel, stating, “I will leverage my experience to empower the men and women of CBP to do what they were hired to do – safeguard every American by securing our borders and keeping trade and travel moving.”

Scott emphasized the importance of enhancing morale within the ranks and ensuring that the most advanced technology is utilized during screenings at ports of entry. “It just detects anomalies,” he remarked, adding that human officers must ultimately assess illicit activity. “Making sure that we use those officers and agents in the most effective manner possible is critical.”

With experience serving as chief of Border Patrol during both Trump’s and Biden’s administrations, Scott implemented policies that required asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while awaiting court decisions.

However, his tenure is shadowed by allegations surrounding the death of Anastasio Hernández Rojas, who died after being detained by CBP in San Diego. Wyden questioned Scott’s actions, claiming he failed to refer the incident to outside investigators promptly and alleging misconduct during an internal investigation. “The CBP officers taped over the only video copy of Hernández Rojas’s death and tampered with physical evidence,” he stated, citing court documents.

The U.S. government paid $1 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Hernández Rojas’ widow. In 2015, the Department of Justice declined to pursue federal charges against involved officers. Committee Chair Mike Crapo, a Republican from Idaho, defended Scott, referring to a letter from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, which stated that Scott acted in accordance with his duties and standards.

Wyden countered that Noem was not in charge of DHS in 2010 and suggested that the committee should consider the perspectives of individuals present at the time rather than rely solely on Noem’s statements. “There have been these serious allegations made by the former heads of internal affairs about Mr. Scott’s involvement and the cover-up,” he said.

CBP employs over 60,000 individuals and oversees more than 300 ports of entry across borders, airports, and seaports.