The head of the United States Border Patrol, Michael Banks, resigned from his position with immediate effect, according to US media, amid reports that accuse the official of contracting prostitution services during the time he has worked in this agency.
«I feel like I have put the ship back on the right course: from being the most insecure, disastrous and chaotic border, to being the most secure border this country has ever seen. “It’s time to give up the reins, it’s 37 years, it’s time to enjoy family and life,” Banks told Fox News when confirming her resignation.
The agent’s departure takes place after The Washington Examiner, a conservative media outlet, published last April an investigation into the official’s alleged trips abroad to have sexual relations with prostitutes while he was carrying out previous responsibilities at the immigration agency.
According to allegations from six current and former Border Patrol employees, Banks “bragged” to colleagues about paying for sexual services during trips to Colombia and Thailand over a decade.
The Washington Examiner also publishes fragments of a letter through which the manager would have communicated his departure to his subordinates.
“After more than 37 years of public service to the citizens of the United States of America, the time has come for me to retire and return to my home in Texas to dedicate myself to my family and my ranch,” Banks wrote, according to the American media.
The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), on which the Border Patrol depends, has not immediately responded to questions about the resignation and the accusations against the agent.
Since joining the agency more than three decades ago, Banks has held various positions within the federal immigration agency.
He temporarily retired from the Border Patrol in 2023 due to disagreements with the immigration policy of then-Democratic President Joe Biden, after which he was appointed as “border czar” in Texas by the Republican governor of that state, Greg Abbott, known for his heavy-handed initiatives against immigration.
After President Donald Trump’s return to power in January 2025, he was named head of the Border Patrol, where he has worked to implement the anti-immigration policies with which the Republican president campaigned.
