SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Joint Task Force – West (JTF-W) Director Manuel Padilla, Jr. told Breitbart News that physical barriers on the U.S. southern border actually do matter during a 45-minute exclusive interview.
“Do you think the physical barriers really do matter?” Breitbart News Border and Cartels Director Brandon Darby asked Director Padilla. “Oh absolutely, absolutely,” the director emphatically responded.
“I actually started talking about those things when we were very busy in South Texas,” Padilla explained. “And if you look at it proportionally, the tactical infrastructure that we have — to include the walls — is a lot less in South Texas than in other parts of the country.”
Prior to his appointment as the Department of Homeland Security’s Joint Task Force — West, Padilla served as Chief Patrol agent for the Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector — the nation’s busiest sector for migrant apprehensions.
“That’s nobody’s fault,” the director continued, “we were very busy in El Paso, we were very busy in San Diego in years past and it’s kind of shifted traffic to different areas.”
Seattle robber bites off 88-year-old woman’s finger during violent robbery, police say
FIRST ON FOX: California’s top public university under fire for ‘LatinX’ and ‘Pilipinx’ race-based scholarship
Miami-Dade deputy fatally shot during altercation, prompting massive police response
House Dem reveals why she hijacked Speaker Johnson’s presser with viral outburst
BBC Finds Star Anchor Showed Bias by Correctly Pointing Out ‘Pregnant People’ are ‘Women’ During Report
ABC Abruptly Cancels ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ Taping and Airs a Rerun, Sparking Speculation
Dems block GOP bill ensuring federal worker, military paychecks continue during shutdown
EXCLUSIVE: House Republican targets ‘woke’ testing in bill to restore classical education at military schools
GOP Rep. Lashes Out at Her Own Party as the ‘MAMDANI Act’ is Introduced in Congress
Fox Sports Fires Former NFL QB Mark Sanchez After His Stabbing and Arrest
Wheels come off shutdown talks as Schumer counteroffer frustrates GOP
Hungarian leader says he wants to hire Karoline Leavitt after she rips ‘fake news’ in impromptu takedown
McDonald’s meltdown: Michigan woman wanted after allegedly tossing hot coffee at manager
Cornell University to pay $60M in deal with Trump administration to restore federal funding
Coast Guard swoops in to save stranded sailors from sinking boat hundreds of miles off coast
“The 654 miles of border that we have in place have been built to some extent or another under previous administrations,” he stated. “I think this administration is focused not only on border security but on law and order in general.
“I was very hopeful, very happy when I saw that this administration was very focused on establishing the personnel, technology, and infrastructure to the levels that we are working on and also that engagement with Mexico and Central America,” Padilla concluded.
Director Padilla’s full interview with Brandon Darby:
President Donald Trump appointed Director Padilla to lead the Department of Homeland Security’s Joint Task Force — West in October 2018. The task force coordinates the assets and personnel of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other federal agencies to secure the U.S. southwest border.
Story cited here.
