US Border Patrol agent arrested and accused of forcing women to expose themselves in virtual interviews
By Max Rego and Zoe Sottile, CNN
(CNN) — Authorities in New York state arrested a US Border Patrol agent this week after accusing him of forcing women to expose themselves on webcam, claiming it was a requirement for admission into the country.
The agent, 53-year-old Shane Millan of Jefferson County, allegedly ordered three women to expose their bare chests and a fourth to expose her breasts while keeping her bra on, according to a news release from the US Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of New York.
Millan was charged with four misdemeanor counts of depriving the women of their Constitutional rights against unreasonable searches. The incidents allegedly took place in August 2023, according to the charging document signed by US Attorney Carla Freedman. It’s unclear why the charges were filed now, a year later.
Millan allegedly told the women the requests were “legitimate searches incident to admission into the United States” although his “demands to see the victims’ breasts were for his own gratification,” according to the news release. He was virtually processing the victims’ admission into the US.
The charging document says Millan committed the offenses in Jefferson County, along the Canadian border, and “elsewhere.”
In a statement to CNN, US Customs and Border Protection said it “does not tolerate misconduct within our ranks,” while not specifically addressing Millan’s case.
“When we discover any alleged or potential misconduct, we immediately refer it for investigation and cooperate fully with any criminal or administrative investigations,” the statement said.
Millan was arraigned before a US magistrate judge Thursday in Syracuse on four counts of deprivation of rights under color of law and released pending trial. Court documents do not indicate that he entered a plea at his initial appearance.
A jury trial has been set for October 21, according to court records.
CNN is working to determine if Millan has legal representation.
The-CNN-Wire
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