But how? Former Border Patrol chief makes stunning admission about Biden, Harris, and the border crisis: 'That's a problem'

Raul Ortiz served as chief of Border Patrol for nearly two years, holding the position from August 2021 until his retirement last summer.

Shockingly, Ortiz never talked to President Joe Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris a single time during his tenure as leader of the Border Patrol, despite serving during the height of the border crisis.

"I've never had one conversation with the president or the vice president, for that matter," Ortiz said in a new interview. "I was the chief of the Border Patrol. I commanded 21,000 people. That's a problem."

Ortiz, moreover, said he believes the Biden administration has "most definitely" sent "mixed messages" to migrants.

"We need to make sure that Central America, South America, Mexico, that those regions understand that if you pay a smuggler and you cross in between the ports of entry and you do not have a legitimate claim to some sort of asylum benefit, you're gonna be sent back," Ortiz said.

While he did not specify the content of those "mixed messages," Ortiz's response indicates that he believes the Biden administration virtue-signaled its way into the migrant crisis with rhetoric and executive action — like rescinding many Trump-era immigration policies — that communicated to migrants around the world the U.S. is open and willing to accept them.

The problem with Ortiz's admission is obvious: Biden and Harris, the "border czar," cannot provide effective oversight of the border crisis management if they do not communicate with key on-the-ground leaders.

Ortiz retired last year several months after he publicly contradicted Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who for years insisted the border is "secure." But that's not true, Ortiz told lawmakers in March 2023.

When asked by House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R) if border agents have "operational control" of the border, Ortiz confirmed, "No, sir."

"About 10 years ago, we used operational control as a measuring stick of our effectiveness along the southwest border," Ortiz explained. "My new strategy is geared towards mission advantage."

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