A Rio Grande Valley driver who was recently stopped at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint believes the agency went too far.
Action 4's Ryan Wolf addressed his Call 4 Action.
Robert Jay Campos said he was stopped by agents at the Sarita checkpoint and asked to get out of his truck.
"Their response was because a dog detected something with the vehicle," explained Campos.
He said the agents' one-and-a-half hour search for narcotics in the wheels raised a serious red flag with him.
"It made me feel like my truck was a piece of trash to them, like a toy," he added.
Campos said an agent deflated and then jumped on his tires with all four rims on the ground.\
Jay said he believes agents jeopardized the safety of his tires and ruined the inspection work he paid to have done before an upcoming trip.
"Do any of these officers have certification or credentials? Have they worked on tires before?"
Border patrol agents have different kinds of technology to search vehicles for drugs including density meters and X-rays.
But hands-on checks work, too, and agents do not have to be certified mechanics to get the job done.
Photographs given to Action 4 News by Border Patrol agents demonstrate why the checks are necessary.
Spokesperson John Lopez said the checks are also safe.
"My children do that, my wife does that, anyone can air up a tire and it doesn't change the nature of the tire from what we understand," said Lopez. "We do it on a daily basis."
Tire experts have supported his claims.
They said balance and rim integrity remain in tact as long as the tire isn't dismounted and or the vehicle isn't rolled with deflated tires.
Lopez added that no motorist is ever sent off until in-house tire safety guidelines are met.
"All we're doing is ensuring the safety of our country by making sure every vehicle we check by deflating the tire and then re-inflating it to manufacturer specifications," Lopez said. "We ensure the safety of everyone."
If you feel your property has been damaged during a U.S. Border Patrol inspection you can file a claim.
Forms to do so can be found at any federal government facility.
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