CBP Staff at EWR Say They Were Subjected to Violent, Sexual Hazing Rituals

A federal investigation is currently underway into the abuse of three members of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agency at the facility.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agency staff at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) say that they have been subjected to violent hazing by their immediate superiors.

NBC 4 New York has revealed that a federal investigation into the allegations has already begun and that three members of the agency at EWR have reported being abused. Incoming members of the CBP say that these rituals included being led to a secure room within the airport and forcibly duct-taped to what has been referred to as a “rape table,” with senior colleagues violently grinding themselves onto restrained officers.

Speaking of his ordeal, CBP officer Vito Degironimo told the outlet that “Once the lights go out, they grab you up like a gang, and they forcibly throw you on the table and one officer ended up mounting me and pretty much riding me like a horse.”

A second member of staff, Diana Cifuentes, said that while she was not restrained upon the “rape table,” her treatment at the hands of her colleagues was just as harrowing.

“There was a back and forth between another officer and myself,” she said. “He said, ‘You deserve to be put on the rape table.’ And that’s when he started chasing me. … [Eventually] I was held down by another officer and one additional officer taped me with green customs tape to the chair,” Cifuentes explained.

A third member of staff, Dan Arencibia, managed to avoid molestation, but has documented the scale of alleged sexual abuse at EWR.

Degironimo filed an internal complaint only after being subjected to months of abuse and all three staff members are seeking to file a legal suit. Speaking on behalf of the trio, attorney Patrick Metz said “These are armed federal officers assaulting other armed federal officers. It’s gang assault.”

Speaking of the allegations, the CBP said, “We do not tolerate corruption or abuse within our ranks, and we cooperate fully with all criminal or administrative investigations of alleged misconduct by any of our personnel, whether it occurs on- or off-duty.”

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