Border Patrol's checkpoints overlooked in debate over wall
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Agents who work at one of the Border Patrol's checkpoints in South Texas, north of the U.S.-Mexico border, say that the checkpoint is undersized and sometimes overwhelmed by traffic.
It's a situation challenged constantly by smugglers, sometimes with deadly consequences.
Top Border Patrol officials say President Donald Trump's proposed border wall would help cut the number of overall smuggling cases. But critics say that plan overlooks checkpoints and other critical needs at the border.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Trump administration budget proposal doesn't directly address needs at most checkpoints. It proposes zeroing out new spending on tactical infrastructure like roads, fences and remote video surveillance.
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Laredo Democrat, says Trump administration officials are taking away money "from proven law enforcement systems to put it into this 14th century solution."