WARNING: This story contains offensive language.
CLINT, Texas -- The head of the U.S. Border Patrol on Monday slammed as 鈥渃ompletely inappropriate鈥� sexually explicit posts about U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and comments questioning the authenticity of a photo of a drowned man and his young daughter in a secret Facebook group for agents.
The existence of the group was as roughly a dozen members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, including Democrats Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Veronica Escobar of Texas, toured border facilities where attorneys said they had found migrant children living in fetid, filthy conditions.
Some of the posts were graphic, doctored images of Ocasio-Cortez, including one that shows a smiling President Donald Trump forcing her head toward his crotch. Other comments refer to Ocasio-Cortez and Escobar as 鈥渉oes,鈥� and one member encouraged agents to throw a 鈥渂urrito at these bitches.鈥�
Ocasio-Cortez said she wasn't surprised by the posts, especially after the treatment of migrants she said she witnessed at the facility.
鈥淚t's just indicative of the violent culture that we saw,鈥� she said.
The revelation about the Facebook posts only added to the vitriolic atmosphere surrounding immigration and the treatment of tens of thousands of migrants who have crossed the border, vastly straining the system that has been struggling to keep up amid Trump's hardline rhetoric.
The Democrats delivered an emotional denunciation of what they saw inside the border facilities as protesters shouted that they didn't believe them.
鈥淲hen we went into the cell, it was clear that the water was not running ... in fact, one of the women said that she was told by an agent to drink from the toilet,鈥� said Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Democrat from Texas and twin brother of presidential candidate Julian Castro.
The Texas visit came the same day as Trump signed a $4.6 billion emergency aid package that Congress passed on Friday. The Democratic-led House had pushed for more restrictions on how the money could be used and stricter oversight, but ultimately lost the battle.
Trump said he hadn't seen the postings, but claimed Border Patrol agents were not happy with Congress.
鈥淪o the Border Patrol, they're patriots, they're great people. They love our country. They know who's coming in,鈥� said Trump.
Lawmakers who toured the facilities shared their experiences widely on social media. Rep. Joe Kennedy of Massachusetts called them 鈥渏ail-like. No way to keep a child or innocent human being.鈥� The head of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, California Rep. Judy Chu said 鈥渨hat we saw was appalling and disgusting.鈥�
Castro said there would likely be a Congressional investigation into the Facebook posts.
Billed as 鈥渇un, serious and just work related,鈥� the group of about 9,500 members of current and former Border Patrol employees states: 鈥淲e are family, first and foremost,鈥� .
Another thread involved the image published last week by The Associated Press of a migrant father and his toddler, drowned on the banks of the Rio Grande. One commenter suggested the image was doctored because the bodies were too clean.
鈥淲e've all seen the dems and liberal parties do some pretty sick things,鈥� the comment read.
Facebook wouldn't say Tuesday whether the offensive posts had been taken down. But in statement, the social network said it was co-operating with the government in its investigation.
They marked a sharp contrast to accounts of Border Patrol officers spending their own money on food for migrants in their care, or rescuing migrants from the Rio Grande , or from a bombing range in Arizona. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the parent agency of Border Patrol, said an investigation into 鈥渄isturbing social media activity鈥� was underway.
鈥淭hese posts are completely inappropriate and contrary to the honour and integrity I see - and expect - from our agents day in and day out,鈥� Border Patrol chief Carla Provost said. 鈥淎ny employees found to have violated our standards of conduct will be held accountable.鈥�
Ocasio-Cortez raised hackles last month when : 鈥淭his administration has established concentration camps on the southern border of the United States for immigrants, where they are being brutalized with dehumanizing conditions and dying.鈥�
Her tweet set off a firestorm of criticism from GOP lawmakers and others over her use of 鈥渃oncentration camps,鈥� with some saying she was unfairly comparing the southern border to the Holocaust. The Border Patrol's union, while condemning the Facebook posts, also took a swipe at her.
鈥淲hether one agrees with the politics of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Escobar, they both must be treated with dignity and respect,鈥� according to a statement from the union. 鈥淪imilarly, when Rep. Ocasio-Cortez refers to CBP facilities as concentration camps ... she does nothing to improve the political discourse.鈥�
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Long reported from Washington. Associated Press Writer Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report from Washington.
