US Border Patrol agent told women to show him their breasts to get into country: Feds
Shane Millan is accused of making women show their breasts to him during virtual admissions interviews. He faces four charges of deprivation of rights.
A U.S. Border Patrol agent has been charged after being accused of ordering women to show him their breasts during the admissions process to enter the country, federal authorities said.
Shane Millan, 53, was charged with four misdemeanor counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, federal prosecutors in the Northern District of New York announced Thursday in a news release. He willfully deprived four different women of their constitutional right to be free from unreasonable searches, the prosecutors said.
During virtual processing concerning their admission into the U.S., Millan told three women to "expose their bare chests" to him over webcam and a fourth woman to unveil her breasts to him while her bra remained on, according to the prosecutors.
Millan made the demands "for his own gratification" and lied to the women by saying he was conducting legitimate searches, prosecutors said.
After being arraigned Thursday in Syracuse, Millan was released pending a trial.
Paste BN contacted Millan's defense attorney with the Federal Public Defender's office on Friday but has not received a response.
In a statement emailed to Paste BN, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol said, "Maintaining the public’s trust is vital to our mission. CBP does not tolerate misconduct within our ranks. When we discover any alleged or potential misconduct, we immediately refer it for investigation and cooperate fully with any criminal or administrative investigations."
"This is the case whether the alleged misconduct occurs on or off duty. Investigations are conducted thoroughly and with proper oversight, ensuring that appropriate action can be taken if and as needed, including working with law enforcement authorities," the statement continued. "Consistent with our commitment to transparency, we make reports public whenever possible with legal and privacy constraints."