Nebraska U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border at Texas for a “Learning Tour” on Saturday and took pictures which show just how porous the U.S. border really is.
Sasse, who rode in a Customs and Border Protection helicopter along with Delaware Sen. Tom Carper, came across at least two groups of five men trying to cross into the U.S.
According to Sasse, a Republican, his main concern is thwarting “jihad-minded migrants.”
The pictures, which he posted to Twitter, show the shallow and easily navigable Rio Grande River as well as an incomplete border fence.
Busted. Another five(?) guys turn back from crossing at the site of our CBP helicopter: pic.twitter.com/IghRcexsn6
— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015
In the trees (Mexican side) are 5 guys+1 raft. They pulled back when saw our helicopter. Our pilot assumes no drugs pic.twitter.com/XS4GDYjb2x
— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015
Pieces of a very incomplete wall.Raises lots of Qs. Hard to get coherent answers on why partial wall, vs. All or None pic.twitter.com/g3rX43TWa0
— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015
Nothing deeper than knee deep right here right now. Understatement of our pilot: “Tough for BPATROL to stop this” pic.twitter.com/yIWFs2E9ez
— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015
Mexico on your left; Texas on the right. Quote here: “It’s really the Rio Pequeno River — nothing ‘Grande'” pic.twitter.com/uvk5ANZ6Gg
— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015
@SenatorCarper asks right Qs: If u were drug cartel posing as fisherm, how wld u get in? (Answer isn’t classified; shld be. It’s too easy)
— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015
Sasse wrote that before he and Carper went up in the helicopter, he spoke with two dozen Texas ranchers to get their thoughts on the issue.
One rancher in Brooks County told him that border-crossers have damaged his fences 13 times over the past year. Repair costs average $1,000 each time. Besides that, the rancher told Sasse that cattle often escape and venture onto the highway.
According to Sasse, Brooks County sheriff Benny Martinez showed him pictures of bodies that have been found in the county. Martinez told the senator that 435 bodies have been discovered in the county — which has a population of 8,000 — over the past two years.
Before his tour, Sasse laid out what he hoped to learn. His main concerns, he wrote, are “jihad-minded migrants.” He also wanted to find out more about the work of Customs and Border Protection agents.
#5: @SenatorCarper (lead Dem), and I are exploring SW border w/ BordPatrol & other DHS workers. I’ll tweet a bit but my purpose won’t be par
— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015
#6: won’t be partisan politics. Instead my 2 main reasons for coming here r to understand biggest threats to natl. security along this long
— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015
#7: long border (my biggest fear is jihadi-minded migrants); & workers who do the dusty,complicated work of protecting us. I’m obv’ly also
— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015
Sasse, a father of three, also wrote that he hoped to meet with some of the children who crossed the border during last year’s massive immigration wave.