Los investigadores dijeron que un agente de control de inmigración se salió con la suya al agredir físicamente a su novia durante años. Otro admitió que abusó sexualmente de una mujer bajo su custodia en repetidas ocasiones. Un tercero está acusado de aceptar sobornos para eliminar órdenes de detención sobre personas susceptibles de deportación.

Al menos dos docenas de empleados y contratistas del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés) han sido acusados de delitos desde 2020, y sus infracciones incluyen patrones de abuso físico y sexual, corrupción y otros abusos de autoridad, según una revisión realizada por The Associated Press.

Aunque la mayoría de los casos ocurrieron antes de que el Congreso votara el año pasado para otorgar al ICE 75.000 millones de dólares para contratar más agentes y detener a más personas, los expertos dicen que este tipo de delitos podría acelerarse dado el gran volumen de nuevos empleados y los poderes que se les han otorgado para usar tácticas agresivas en la detención y deportación de personas.

El gobierno de Trump ha envalentonado a los agentes al argumentar que tienen «inmunidad absoluta» por sus acciones en servicio y debilitar la supervisión. Un juez sugirió recientemente que el ICE estaba desarrollando una preocupante cultura de ilegalidad, mientras que los expertos han cuestionado si los nuevos empleados están recibiendo suficiente evaluación y capacitación.

“Una vez que una persona es contratada, incluida, pasa por la capacitación y no es la persona adecuada, es difícil deshacerse de ella y todos pagaremos un precio más adelante”, afirmó Gil Kerlikowske, quien sirvió como comisionado de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de Estados Unidos de 2014 a 2017.

Casi todas las agencias de seguridad lidian con malos empleados, y los delitos relacionados con la violencia doméstica y el abuso de sustancias son problemas arraigados en el sector. Pero el rápido crecimiento del ICE y su misión de deportar a millones de personas no tienen precedentes, y el análisis de AP encontró que el inmenso poder que los agentes ejercen sobre poblaciones vulnerables puede llevar a abusos.

La subsecretaria del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional, Tricia McLaughlin, dijo que la mala conducta no era generalizada en la agencia y que el ICE «se toma muy en serio las acusaciones de mala conducta por parte de sus empleados». Afirmó que la mayoría de los nuevos contratados ya habían trabajado para otras agencias de seguridad y que sus antecedentes fueron minuciosamente evaluados.

«Estados Unidos puede estar orgulloso del profesionalismo que nuestros agentes aportan al trabajo día tras día», expresó.

El ICE anunció el mes pasado que había más que duplicado su tamaño a 22.000 empleados en menos de un año.

Kerlikowske dijo que los agentes del ICE son particularmente «vulnerables a problemas de uso innecesario de la fuerza», dado que a menudo realizan operaciones en público mientras enfrentan protestas. El número de detenidos del ICE casi se ha duplicado desde el año pasado, a 70.000 personas, y los empleados y contratistas responsables de supervisarlos también enfrentan condiciones complicadas que pueden proporcionar más oportunidades para la mala conducta.

La Patrulla Fronteriza duplicó su tamaño a más de 20.000 agentes de 2004 a 2011, seis años más de lo que le tomó al ICE. La agencia se vio avergonzada por una ola de corrupción, abuso y otras infracciones por parte de algunos de los nuevos empleados. Kerlikowske recordó casos de agentes que aceptaron sobornos para permitir que autos que transportaban drogas ingresaran a Estados Unidos o que se involucraron en el tráfico de personas.

Él y otros dicen que el ICE está en posición de ver problemas similares que probablemente serán más amplios en alcance, con menos supervisión y rendición de cuentas.

«La corrupción, el abuso y la mala conducta estaban en gran medida confinados en la instancia anterior a lo largo de la frontera y las interacciones con inmigrantes y residentes de estados fronterizos. Con el ICE, esto se convertirá en un fenómeno a nivel nacional a medida que atraen a muchas personas que se sienten atraídas por esta misión», dijo David Bier, director de estudios de inmigración en el Instituto Cato, un grupo de expertos libertario.

Bier, quien ha ayudado a publicitar algunos de los arrestos recientes y otras presuntas malas prácticas de agentes del ICE, dijo que le ha sorprendido la «notable variedad de diferentes delitos y cargos que hemos visto».

El análisis de AP examinó registros públicos que involucran casos de empleados y contratistas del ICE que han sido arrestados desde 2020, incluidos al menos 17 que han sido condenados y otros seis que están esperando juicio. Nueve han sido acusados en el último año, incluido un agente procesado el mes pasado por agredir a un manifestante cerca de Chicago cuando estaba fuera de servicio.

Algunos de los delitos más graves fueron cometidos por empleados veteranos de ICE y supervisores en lugar de novatos.

Mientras que los funcionarios federales han justificado la agresión de ICE, el comportamiento de los agentes está atrayendo el escrutinio de observadores con celulares y fiscales en jurisdicciones lideradas por demócratas. Las agencias locales están investigando los tiroteos fatales del mes pasado en Minneapolis de los manifestantes Renee Good y Alex Pretti por parte agentes federales, así como el asesinato de Keith Porter por un agente de ICE fuera de servicio en Los Ángeles en la víspera de Año Nuevo.

En todo el país, los casos han atraído titulares no deseados para el ICE, que ha gastado millones de dólares publicitando los antecedentes penales de aquellos que arrestan como los «peores de los peores».

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday directing the Department of War (DOW) to work directly with coal-fired power plants on new long-term power purchasing agreements, arguing the move would ensure «more reliable power and stronger and more resilient grid power.»

«That’s why I’m also pleased to announce that, in just a moment, I will sign an executive order that directs the Department of War to work directly with coal plants on the new power purchasing agreements, ensuring that we have more reliable power and stronger and more resilient grid power,» Trump said. 

«And we’re going to be buying a lot of coal through the military now, and it’s going to be less expensive and actually much more effective than what we have been using for many, many years.»

The executive order, «Strengthening United States National Defense with America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Power Generation Fleet,» states, «The United States must ensure that our electric grid … remains resilient and reliable, and not reliant on intermittent energy sources,» calling the grid «the foundation of our national defense as well as our economic stability.»

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It adds, «It is the policy of the United States that coal is essential to our national and economic security.»

Under a section titled «Power Purchase Agreements with Federal Installations,» the order states that the Secretary of War, «in coordination with the Secretary of Energy, shall seek to procure power from the United States coal generation fleet by approving long-term Power Purchase Agreements … with coal-fired energy production facilities to serve DOW installations or other mission-critical facilities.»

Speaking at the White House and flanked by members of his Cabinet, coal workers and GOP lawmakers, Trump framed coal as vital to defense and industrial production.

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President Donald Trump speaks during a «Champion of Coal» event in the East Room of the White House Wednesday, in Washington, D.C. (Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

«Coal is also critical to our national security,» he said. «Vital to everything from steel production to shipbuilding and artificial intelligence.»

He also pointed to winter storms as evidence of coal’s reliability.

«More than 200 million Americans across 35 states were impacted by the storm, and the only reason most were able to take a hot shower was thanks to the power provided by the most reliable, dependable of, and really dependable form of energy that we have,» Trump said. «And that’s clean, beautiful coal.»

Trump contrasted his approach with the prior administration.

«On day one of this administration, I ended the war on coal,» Trump said. «We terminated the green new scam, and we withdrew from the unfair, one-sided Paris climate accord.»

He also criticized wind energy.

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President Donald Trump speaks during a «Champion of Coal» event, where he ordered the Pentagon to purchase electricity from plants and announced millions of dollars to upgrade existing sites. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

«I’m not a big fan of those crazy windmills that are all made in China,» Trump said. «You know, they’re made in China but not used by China.»

Trump said the Tennessee Valley Authority was «taking action to save two major coal plants,» mentioning the Cumberland Fossil Plant and the Kingston Fossil Plant.

«These two plants were slated for termination,» Trump said, «but we’re going to save over 450 jobs by keeping them going and going strong.»

Trump said he was «directing the Department of Energy to issue funds» to coal plants in several states.

«In addition, I’m directing the Department of Energy to issue funds to coal plants in West Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina and Kentucky to keep them online and keep those plants open,» Trump said.

On permitting, Trump said, «In one year of Trump, we’ve already approved over 70 permits for very big, very powerful mines that are going to be with us for many, many years to come.»

Trump said coal production and generation had increased during his tenure.

«Since I took office, coal production is up by nearly 4 million tons a month after falling for decades,» he said. «Coal power generation is up by nearly 15% in my first year.»

Later in the event, Peabody Energy CEO Jim Grech presented Trump with an award.

«Sir. Just to show our appreciation,» Grech said. «The trophy says the undisputed champion of beautiful, clean coal.»

Trump closed by returning to what he described as American energy dominance.

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«America is now the No. 1 energy producer in the world,» he said. «We are by far No. 1.»

The Department of War did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

UNITED NATIONS: U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres sent a congratulatory message to Iran marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution, a move that drew sharp criticism from anti-regime Iranian voices and human rights advocates.

In a letter addressed to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Guterres «extended his warmest congratulations on the National Day of the Islamic Republic of Iran,» describing such anniversaries as an opportunity to reflect on a country’s path and contributions to the international community, according to Iranian state and regional reporting published Wednesday.

The message comes weeks after the U.N.’s top human rights body condemned Iran over abuses tied to a violent crackdown on anti-government protests and mandated further investigation into alleged violations, with some reports citing casualty figures that could reach 30,000, pending verification.

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Furthermore, according to the NGO U.N. Watch, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, is expected to address the U.N. Human Rights Council on Feb. 23.

Against that backdrop, critics said the secretary-general’s congratulatory message risked sending a conflicting signal.

«The U.N. secretary-general’s congratulatory message is not merely diplomatic routine — it is abjectly tone-deaf,» said Iran analyst Banafsheh Zand. «At a time when the Iranian people continue to endure executions, repression and systemic abuse at the hands of the Islamic Republic, offering formal congratulations to the architects of that suffering reads as a moral failure.»

Zand added that such gestures «erode [the U.N.’s] credibility and deepen the wound for those still fighting for freedom inside Iran.»

Andrew Ghalili, policy director at the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI), said the message amounted to legitimizing a repressive system.

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Cars burn in a street during a protest over the collapse of the currency’s value in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 8, 2026. (Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)

«The United Nations is legitimizing a regime built on repression, executions and the systematic destruction of basic freedoms,» Ghalili said. «Offering celebratory recognition to the Islamic Republic on the anniversary of its revolution ignores the bloodshed, the repression of protesters and the ongoing hostage-taking of innocent people.»

Human rights groups have repeatedly warned that impunity has enabled ongoing abuses in Iran, urging U.N. member states to pursue accountability for what they describe as systemic violations and mass killings of protesters.

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the secretary-general, told Fox News Digital during a press briefing that the message to Tehran was part of a long-standing U.N. protocol.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi holds a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Istanbul, Turkey, on Jan. 30, 2026. (Arif Hudaverdi Yaman/Anadolu via Getty Images)

«The letter that came out from the secretary-general is a standard letter. Every year, each member state gets the exact same letter… congratulating them on the national holiday and conveying best wishes to the people of that country.»

The spokesperson added that similar letters were sent the same day to other countries marking national holidays and «should not be interpreted… as an endorsement of whatever policies may be put in place by the government.» He said the message «doesn’t change the secretary-general’s view» on Iran, noting Guterres has previously spoken out against the crackdown and violence.

On reports that Iran’s foreign minister is expected to address the Human Rights Council later this month, the spokesperson said the matter falls under the council’s authority.

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«That’s a decision of the Human Rights Council,» he said. «This is a membership organization. Every member state has a right to address legislative bodies… It’s not within the secretariat’s authority to bar member states from addressing a legislative body.»