The true spirit of authentic journalism, as I understand it, is to listen before you write. So I thought I’d share with you a few of the voices I have run across on my border beat for Narco News, voices that the U.S. government has sought to silence.

What has prompted me to publish these letters is the harmony of the responses — all in reaction to the above story concerning cronyism in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its sub-agency, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

I have kept the identities of the people who provided comments confidential – with the exception of two individuals who wished to be “on the record” -- though all of them are either current or former U.S. federal agents — some of them high-ranking supervisors.

When I take the time to listen — setting aside, for those moments, considerations of political ideology and parties — I hear the same human message from these folks: Integrity matters.

But it is clear to me that the leadership of the U.S. government — Congress, the Courts, the Executive Branch and the Media — is not really listening to these agents. So I thought I’d share their voices with you, because I know from experience that you, kind readers, will listen to the underlying message, and maybe even choose to enhance the dialog.

The letters

1. BILL — ANOTHER FAILURE OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO THINK BEYOND POLITICS AND NEPOTISM. APPARENTLY POLITICIANS LEARNED NOTHING FROM KATRINA. IT IS DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THAT THE GOVERNMENT CANNOT FIND SOMEONE WHO IS ACTUALLY QUALIFIED TO PROTECT OUR NATIONAL SECURITY. IT SEEMS MORE IMPORTANT TO PROTECT POLITICAL FAVORS.

2. I cannot believe they took two good agencies that were productive, blended them together and created such a confused and worthless crowd [ICE].  In the past the former two agencies (I&NS and the Customs Service) had their faults, but at least the employees were productive. From what I hear now of current employees, they don't even make cases, or they are few and far between.  Thanks Bill, keep up the good work of keeping the American people informed of what our tax dollars are giving us back.

3. It makes me sick to what length the government will go in their cover-ups and corruption all for money and power. It just makes me sick and nobody seems to care. Those who do give up our lives to expose the truth  … and you know where that gets us. But the fight continues.

4. WE are all so fucked!
 Put ME in coach!!!
 Put (me) in NOW!!!
 NOW GOD DAMN IT NOW!!!!!!!!

5. It is real disappointment to see [DHS Secretary] Chertoff putting Julie Myers in this position [as the nominee to head ICE]. I do not care what anyone says ... she does not have the statutory management and law enforcement experience. In truth, she has NO law enforcement experience and her managerial experience is a joke. Myers statement in her confirmation hearing that she will rely on those who know more than she is PRECISELY the problem. She will not know when she is being fed a line of bullshit and at the levels she will be dealing with, that is what they are most proficient at. I know many in ICE who are bitterly disappointed and literally want to cry when they have to suffer with another incompetent political hack right after that disaster of [prior ICE chief] Michael Garcia. What a severe disappointment to those of us who have been loyal supporters to the conservative republican causes believing that they would put in competent people and not play politics with the nation’s security.

Damnable.

Mark Conrad,
Former Supervisory Special Agent with U.S. Customs

6. ... Nothing that you report would surprise me now.  And imagine this, people are actually wondering why the government failed to react appropriately on yet another national disaster, i.e., Hurricane Katrina!  Three years ago, and one year prior to 911, seven (7) National Security Whistleblowers testified before Congress, all of us, emphasizing the core problems in not only Customs, but in most all federal agencies.  The number one thing that we all emphasized to our elected officials was the damage that Cronyisim is causing, and the potential threat to National Security. All of our statements addressed that these agencies are built on a foundation of sand - that foundation of Sand being the “GOOD OLD BOY” promotion systems, and network in place within management that operates like the Mafia.

FEMA ran and operated just like Customs (now DHS). The head of the agency was appointed under the “GOOD OLD BOY” program, and this continued throughout the agency. Thus, THE CREAM OF THE CROP IS NOT RUNNING THE AGENCY. This is exactly what we testified to before Congress those many years ago. Our elected officials on the hill knew it then, and they still know it.  Yet, no one is lifting a finger to correct this gaping hole. How embarrassing for our once great nation that on the news today it was stated that Third World countries are a-gasp at how ill prepared our country was for a natural disaster.

As you well know, in the current agency DHS and in any other Federal Government Agency, it has become even more deadly for Whistleblowers to speak out, no matter how bad the finding of corruption is. There is still no protection for Federal Government Employees who make the fatal error of using their conscious and becoming Whistleblowers. Again, our elected officials on the hill have the power to do something about this, and still they don’t. It is a no-brainer to predict how the next terrorist attack or national disaster will be addressed, when all the federal agencies are managed by the most incompetent. The people with the most competence and integrity in these agencies either learn to bend the rules and turn their heads the other way, resign, or become Whistelblowers like me, and loose everything. How sad is it that in our country, these are the only choices for the folks on the very front line of our defense against Terrorists, Drug Lords, and Natural Disasters. How sad is it that thousands more of innocent people will have to die because our Government has repeatedly failed to do its job ….

Darlene Fitzgerald
Former Special Agent
U.S. Customs