Border Patrol Agents Sold Challenge Coins With ‘Charlotte’s Web’ Characters in Riot Gear

US Border Patrol agents are raising wealth by selling coins that commemorate past year’s question of migration enforcement “operations” crossed the country, on with different merchandise. The funds are for nonprofit organizations that database Border Patrol buildings arsenic their code successful IRS paperwork. At slightest 2 of the organizations person dedicated US Customs and Border Protection email addresses.

The beforehand broadside of 1 coin for merchantability reads, “NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2025,” on with the acronyms for US Border Patrol and the acronym for “fuck astir and find out”—a operation that was initially popularized by the far-right radical the Proud Boys and has been utilized by assorted Trump officials. In the center, the coin depicts a state mask, a riot power fume grenade, and a capsicum shot launcher. On the different side, the coin appears to person a representation of Border Patrol’s present retired commander-at-large, Gregory Bovino, with his limb raised successful a salute, on with the substance “COMING TO A CITY NEAR YOU!” It lists 7 cities, galore of which really saw national enforcement surges successful 2025: Chicago, Los Angeles, Memphis, Phoenix, Portland, Charlotte, and Atlanta.

The coin is for merchantability by Willcox Morale Welfare and Recreation, a nonprofit that the IRS astir precocious declared tax-exempt during the Biden medication and whose code connected IRS paperwork matches that of the Willcox Border Patrol Station successful Arizona. A petition for remark sent to Willcox MWR’s dedicated CBP email code went unanswered.

Employees of the Department of Homeland Security, the genitor bureau for Border Patrol, are allowed to commencement private, not-for-profit worker associations wrong DHS, truthful agelong arsenic they get formally recognized by the bureau and travel definite rules. According to DHS policies, officially recognized groups tin fundraise utilizing authorities spot and make merchandise with the agency’s sanction and logos–but they person to person beforehand support from the agency.

Willcox MWR is conscionable 1 of respective groups crossed the state that cater to Border Patrol agents and notation to themselves arsenic MWRs, a notation to the US military’s “morale, payment and recreation” programs. The groups thin to propulsion vacation events and status parties, and sometimes rise wealth for the families of agents going done hard times, including those not getting paid during the existent shutdown.

Many MWRs besides merchantability customized medallions known arsenic “challenge coins” that commemorate circumstantial teams oregon events. While anyone, including CBP alumni, tin plan and merchantability coins, existent DHS employees are not expected to usage authorities resources to merchantability ones that usage the agency’s seals oregon logos without permission, oregon ones that the bureau considers inappropriate oregon unprofessional.

CBP did not supply remark astir its narration to Willcox MWR oregon immoderate different nonprofit mentioned successful this story, nor whether the bureau had green-lit the “North American Tour” coin design, up of publication.

Under Willcox MWR’s Facebook station astir the “North American Tour” coin, idiosyncratic named Juan Diego commented, “Sign up SDC BK5 MWR for 10.”

“Shoot america an email,” idiosyncratic managing the Willcox MWR relationship replied, giving retired what appeared to beryllium a dedicated cbp.dhs.gov email code for the group.

SDC BK5 MWR, besides a registered nonprofit, lists an code connected its website that matches that of a authorities installation successful Chula Vista, California. It says connected its tract that it was started by San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents and sells customized merchandise “designed to rise funds for morale and alleviation efforts.”

Diego did not respond to a petition for comment.

The SDC BK5 MWR website has listings for implicit 200 antithetic products successful summation to the North American Tour coin. One of those listings was a “Chicago Midway Blitz” situation coin successful the signifier of a state disguise that doubles arsenic a vessel opener. Embossed astir the edges of the coin are the names of respective municipalities and neighborhoods caught up successful DHS’s migration enforcement surge of the aforesaid sanction past fall. Like the North American Tour coin, it features the US Border Patrol logo and the acronym for “fuck astir and find out.” Opponents of the Trump administration’s migration enforcement enactment successful Illinois are unamused.