Border Patrol bigs who partied with tequila king also being probed for ties to businessman

Top Border Patrol officials who are under investigation for their ties to a Mexican tequila mogul also attended parties hosted by his friend, a wealthy businessman involved in cross-border trade, raising questions about whether there is a conflict of interest, two sources familiar with the relationship told NBC News.

Mexican American businessman Eduardo Garza, who owns Uni-Trade, which advises international companies on “global transportation, foreign trade and customs,” hosted Border Patrol officials at his ranch in Laredo, Texas, for three events and hosted a smaller group of officials in Mexico for two other events, the sources said.

The sources said Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility is now investigating whether top officials, including Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens and Rio Grande Valley sector head Gloria Chavez, fully disclosed their contacts with Garza or everything that Garza provided to them.

The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General is also asking questions about the activities of Chavez and Garza at some or all of the events, according to the sources.

Regardless of what they did or did not disclose, CBP’s ethics policies prohibit taking gifts from anyone who “conducts activities regulated by the employee’s agency” or “has interests that may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the employee’s official duties.”

Uni-Trade describes itself on its website as “a customs broker." Since Garza’s business conducts activities regulated by CBP, he may be considered a “prohibited source” of gifts, according to the sources. The ethics code defines gifts as “entertainment, hospitality … transportation, local travel, lodgings and meals.”

Garza introduced Owens and Chavez to tequila maker Francisco Javier González, the sources said.

As NBC News previously reported, Owens and Chavez are already under investigation by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility for their contacts with González, who wanted to make a Border Patrol-branded tequila to celebrate the agency’s 100th anniversary this month.

Garza and the Border Patrol

Garza is prominent in Laredo, Texas, a border city of more than 250,000 on the Rio Grande. He sponsored the city’s baseball stadium, which is named after Uni-Trade. He has hosted foreign officials, like the governor of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, at his home, and received keys to the city of Laredo.

He is also politically active, having contributed thousands of dollars to city and county officials, according to a 2013 affidavit stemming from a defamation case he filed and published by a Laredo newspaper. In the affidavit, Garza also disclosed that on more than one occasion he had flown local elected officials on his company plane.

In July 2023, Garza hosted an event attended by Border Patrol officials at his Laredo ranch following a ceremony marking a change in leadership at the Border Patrol’s Laredo office, according to the sources.

Three months later, in October 2023, the event registration for a summit that brought together Border Patrol leaders from the Laredo and Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol sectors took place at the “Garza ranch,” according to a copy of the agenda. Attendees were then entertained at the ranch. They were transported to the ranch via shuttle, listened to Garza speak, had a dinner “sponsored by Uni-Trade,” and were entertained by a comedian, according to the agenda. The CBP Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating allegations that Garza paid for the comedian, sources familiar with the investigation told NBC News.

In December, following a four-day conference for Border Patrol sector chiefs in Laredo, Garza hosted the chiefs from across the country, as well as staff members who traveled with them, at a dinner at his ranch, according to a copy of the agenda and photos obtained by NBC News. The dinner lasted from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. and was listed as the “Uni-Trade dinner” on the agenda.

In photos of the dinner, Garza is seen at a table with Owens, Chavez and former Laredo sector chief Joel Martinez, who left the agency soon afterward following allegations of sexual misconduct involving female subordinates. (Martinez did not comment on the allegations.) An eight-man mariachi band entertained the diners, as seen in cellphone video obtained by NBC News.

Internal investigators are also examining allegations that Chavez traveled with Garza to Guadalajara, Mexico, in November 2023, and whether she or Garza paid for her travel and on-ground transportation.

This February, Owens, Chavez and Garza went to Jalisco, Mexico, and were among a group hosted by González, the distiller, at Tequila Casa de los González, his family’s distillery complex, where they celebrated Owens’ birthday.

In a picture of the February gathering, Owens is seated in front of what appears to be a birthday cake while holding a cigar. Garza is seated directly next to him. The tequila maker, González, is rising as if to offer a toast.

González also attended at least one of the parties hosted by Garza in Laredo.

Through his attorney, Garza said he had “never paid for any travel or transportation for Gloria Chavez or Jason Owens.” Asked about the purpose of social events hosted for Border Patrol employees, Garza said he had “hosted a number of celebrations for various reasons at his home, however, the purpose[s] of those celebrations have involved family, friends or sporting events.”

In a letter sent after initial publication of this article, the attorney said Garza never provided transportation or lodging to any Border Patrol officials, and that any events he hosted that they attended were also attended by family, friends and members of local government.

“Mr. Garza has always been willing to donate his ranch, as well as his home to local, county, state, national and even international politicians, businessmen and women and charitable organizations. Mr. Garza has allowed his ranch in La Salle County, Texas, to be used by many organizations, not only Border Patrol.”

The attorney said the Border Patrol event in October 2023 at Garza’s ranch was “the only non-charitable event” held there. He said Garza provided food, but did not attend or speak at the event, or pay for the comedian. He also said Garza had only brief interactions with Chavez and Owens in Guadalajara, and believed they were there on vacation “at their own expense.”

“Finally and more importantly,” said the attorney, “Mr. Garza does not currently have, nor has he ever had any business interactions, in any way with Border Patrol.”

The CBP Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating whether Owens and Chavez disclosed their contact with Garza and what Garza or González supplied on the trip to Jalisco.

The plan for a Border Patrol tequila has been shelved amid the ongoing investigation. On Thursday, Owens said on the social media platform X: "The gala event planned for May 25th in El Paso celebrating the Border Patrol’s 100 years of history has been canceled. All other events will proceed as planned." The schedule posted online had listed two golf tournaments, a parade and a black-tie gala.

Asked for comment, a CBP spokesperson referred NBC News to the statement CBP provided for the initial story on May 10 about the Border Patrol officials and the tequila maker: “CBP has confidence in our senior leaders and holds them to the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. 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. CBP will continue to reinforce our commitment to the agency’s standards at all levels.”

‘It’s embarrassing’

Border Patrol leadership has now been told to complete mandatory ethics training before attending any centennial celebrations, which are scheduled for next week, and to avoid certain activities such as a golf tournament sponsored by companies that may have sought or be seeking contracts with CBP, two sources told NBC News.

After NBC’s initial report on the trip to his family’s distillery, González told NBC News that he first met Chavez at a private event in Guadalajara in November and then Owens at a December party in Laredo.

He said it was through these meetings that they began to discuss the idea of a limited special edition of his tequila brand, Reserva de Los González, to be used for the Border Patrol’s centennial celebration.

The Border Patrol’s presence at his Jalisco plant on Feb. 2, he said, was arranged to let Border Patrol officials see the plant’s operations, choose the type of tequila and “see all the legal formalities that need to be done.”

González said he did not pay for the trip and does not know how the Border Patrol officials traveled to his distillery.

González did not comment on why Garza and other people seen in the pictures from Jalisco were in attendance as well.

While the tequila project eventually got scrapped, he said he never planned to trademark a Border Patrol tequila brand or sell the special edition commercially.

Meanwhile, several rank-and-file Border Patrol agents have expressed dismay over the revelations about Owens and Chavez’s travel to the tequila distillery.

Hector Garza, the president of the Border Patrol Union in Laredo, told local station KGNS following NBC News’ report, “We don’t know if it was done on duty or if this was done in an off-duty personal capacity. Again, it’s under investigation, but I do believe the taxpayer does not expect us to be internationally traveling for tequila projects.”

Another Border Patrol agent, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the allegations under investigation are embarrassing for the agency.

“It’s embarrassing the way these individuals have led and how they’ve let their guard down,” the agent said. “It’s frustrating.”

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com