Two top US Customs and Border Patrol officials are under investigation for partying in Mexico with a tequila mogul, where they discussed possibly creating a CBP-themed tequila for the agency’s 100th anniversary.
Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens and Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector Chief Gloria Chavez allegedly visited with wealthy distiller Francisco Javier González — grandson of the founder of Don Julio — in Jalisco in February, NBC News reported Wednesday.
The agency is probing whether or not the pair disclosed their relationship with a foreign national, which is required by those with top security clearance, and if they accepted anything that violated any ethics rules, three sources familiar with the matter told the outlet.
Photos posted to Instagram in February show Owens and Chavez with Gonzalez, who hosted the MindMexico event, at Tequila Casa de los Gonzalez, his family’s distillery complex about a two-hour flight from San Antonio.
Owens can be seen drinking a glass of wine and enjoying a cigar at the event beside Chavez.
The CBP officials’ relationship with Gonzalez goes back to July 2023, when the tequila scion hosted a party for CBP leaders in Laredo Texas, two Department of Homeland Security officials told NBC News.
Gonzalez, Owens and Chavez allegedly discussed creating a Border Patrol-branded tequila as part of the agency’s centennial celebration — a multi-day event at the El Paso Convention Center kicking off on May 25.
But the tequila idea has been put on ice amid the investigation, sources told the outlet.
“CBP has confidence in our senior leaders and holds them to the highest standards of integrity and professionalism,” a spokesperson told The Post in a statement Wednesday night when contacted about the investigation.
“Consistent with our commitment to accountability, we thoroughly investigate all allegations and take appropriate action to address any issues identified throughout the course of investigations,” the spokesperson added.
“CBP will continue to reinforce our commitment to the agency’s standards at all levels.”
The Post has also reached out to Owens for comment.
Even without the tequila, the 100-year CBP celebration is set to go on as planned with the help of four major sponsors — including three who have reportedly received hundreds of millions in government contracts with the agency.
Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project on Government Oversight, a nonprofit watchdog organization, told NBC News this “raises a million red flags of the appropriateness of government contractors feting their public sector customers.”
CBP said that its leadership works to ensure that all planned events during the celebration meet the necessary ethical standards.
