The Trump administration's top Border Patrol official abruptly resigned Thursday (May 14) after a report detailed allegations that he traveled abroad to solicit sex workers.
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks confirmed his departure to Fox News, saying, "It's just time," per HuffPost. Banks also told the outlet he believed he "got the ship back on course" during his tenure.
His resignation came after the Washington Examiner reported that six current and former Border Patrol employees accused Banks of traveling to Colombia and Thailand to solicit sex workers and allegedly bragging about the conduct to colleagues.
One anonymous agent told the outlet, “I don't know how he became the chief of the Border Patrol with his character. He's going to third-world countries to take advantage of poor fucking women, which disgusts the hell out of me.”
According to The Daily Beast, Banks' alleged conduct was investigated twice while he worked at CBP. One investigation reportedly took place before his 2023 retirement, while another opened in June 2025 and was later closed during Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's tenure without publicly releasing the findings.
"These allegations date back more than a decade and were reviewed years ago. The matter was closed," a spokesperson told The Daily Beast. "CBP takes allegations regarding misconduct seriously. We cherish the public's trust and work tirelessly to uphold the rule of law and hold ourselves accountable."
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott also confirmed Banks' immediate departure in a statement to CNBC, saying, “We thank U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks for his decades of service to this country and congratulate him on his second retirement after returning to serve during one of the most challenging periods for border security.”
