The head of U.S. Border Patrol allegedly bragged for years about paying for sex, but two internal probes into the matter were killed by the Department of Homeland Security.
Michael Banks, 53, was appointed to lead the dysfunctional organization after returning to DHS in January 2025 under the leadership of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, 54.
The accusations span more than a decade, originating when Banks worked as a supervisory field agent in Nogales, Arizona, where he openly discussed paying for sex workers with colleagues and allegedly invited some to accompany him on trips to Colombia and Thailand, according to an investigation published Wednesday by the Washington Examiner.
“I don’t know how he became the chief of the Border Patrol with his character,” one of six current and former agents interviewed told the outlet, saying Banks had personally pushed him to join one of the trips. “He’s going to third-world countries to take advantage of poor f--king women, which disgusts the hell out of me.”
A second source described how openly Banks allegedly discussed his reasons for traveling. “He would tell people that’s why he was going on these trips—he would go there to engage in activities with prostitutes,” the person said. “So I think those stories are out everywhere, and you can’t put them away or not give it attention because he was the one telling people about these trips.”
The same source drew a clear contrast with the agency’s own stated mission. “In our line of work, part of what we do is try to combat the trafficking of females, that is part of our job,” they said. “It’s counter to what we do or what we should be standing for. If you’re partaking in those activities, you’re supporting the trafficking and exploitation of women.”
The same person added: “When you see someone like Banks get promoted to the top position in the entire Border Patrol, and you know his past, it communicates that you can get away with these things.”
Two internal probes were launched—one before Banks retired from the agency in early 2023, and a second that opened around June 2025 following his return to DHS, the Examiner reported. The latter was conducted by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility but was closed without a publicly known outcome. A CBP spokesperson told the Daily Beast: “These allegations date back more than a decade and were reviewed years ago. The matter was closed. CBP takes allegations regarding misconduct seriously. We cherish the public’s trust and work tirelessly to uphold the rule of law and hold ourselves accountable.”
The Border Patrol’s nongovernmental union defended Banks. “An allegation was made, was investigated, and the subject was cleared of any misconduct,” union president Paul Perez said, dismissing the sources as people with “an axe to grind.”
The Examiner noted that Banks had taken no disciplinary action against any of the six sources cited.
Paying for sex is legal in both Colombia and Thailand. All six sources nevertheless maintained that the alleged conduct breached Border Patrol ethics, regardless of where it occurred.
At the time of publication, Banks had not addressed the allegations on his X account. Instead, on Wednesday, he posted about Border Patrol’s performance under his leadership.
He posted on March 24 about the arrest of a Mexican immigrant who had been convicted of sex offenses.
Banks’ rise to the top of the Border Patrol was closely linked to his relationship with the union. When Trump passed Banks over for the commissioner role, tapping Rodney Scott instead, the union secured him the Border Patrol post.
His wife, Mayra Banks, is a serving agent who serves on the union’s executive board.
Among Banks’ first moves as chief was scrapping a long-standing policy barring managers from fraternizing with subordinates—a rule the union had vehemently opposed since its introduction under Biden.
The Daily Beast has chronicled a year of extraordinary turmoil and controversy at CBP and Border Patrol.
Noem and her chief aide and rumored lover, Corey Lewandowski, 52, waged what insiders called an “evil” campaign to oust Senate-confirmed Commissioner Rodney Scott.
They placed immigration hardliner Gregory Bovino in charge of Donald Trump’s on-the-ground mass deportation drive, with a direct line to them, rather than Scott.
His aggressive approach served as the backdrop to the deaths in Minneapolis of two U.S. citizens in January. The most recent, VA ICU nurse Alex Pretti, 37, was thrown to the ground and shot dead by Border Patrol agents, and Bovino was axed by Trump days later amid public outrage.
The couple also installed attorney Joseph Mazzara as deputy to run the agency over Scott’s head—only for Mazzara to be walked out of the building days after Noem was fired.
The pair purged more than 15 CBP staffers, excluded Scott from Senate hearing prep, and became the subject of a DHS inspector general probe into a $220 million ad contract scandal that funneled public money to political allies.
Scott survived. They didn’t.
The Daily Beast has contacted CBP, DHS, and Banks for comment.
