[San Diego Union-Tribune] When Brian Houston wed his Mexican fiancée in a surprise ceremony during a rare opening of the steel gate on the U.S.-Mexico border fence last month, he said it was because he could not cross into Tijuana.Now we know why.
Houston, a U.S. citizen, is awaiting sentencing in San Diego federal court on a drug smuggling conviction ‐ a fact that the Border Patrol says it did not know when it ran a background check on him clearing him to participate in the event at Border Field State Park.
Houston was arrested in February as he crossed through the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Found hidden in his Volkswagen Jetta were 43 pounds of heroin, 47 pounds of methamphetamine and 43 pounds of cocaine, according to the complaint.
"The agents are upset, feel like they were taken advantage of, feel like they were duped," said Joshua Wilson, vice president and spokesman for the National Border Patrol Council Local 1613. "Turns out we provided armed security for a cartel wedding."
The incident could put future "Door of Hope" events in jeopardy. The event is closely monitored and choreographed, with a handful of vetted families on the U.S. side allowed to embrace and greet family members on the Mexican side in three-minute reunions under the watchful eye of Border Patrol agents. The encounters are held in a small strip of land owned by the Department of Homeland Security known as Friendship Park.