A new report from the Department of Homeland Security says the parent agency of the Border Patrol mishandled a housing project for agents in Ajo, Ariz.
The report, from the Office of Inspector General, found Customs and Border Protection spent $4.6 million more than it should have on new houses and mobile homes for agents, in the small town south of Gila Bend.
CBP paid about $680,000 for each house and $118,000 for each mobile home, in a town where the average cost of a home is $86,500, the report said.
The Inspector General also faults the agency for bypassing procedures, ignoring recommendations and poor planning.
In a statement CBP said it agrees with the recommendations in the report but disputes the way per-unit costs were calculated, claiming it was like comparing “apples to oranges.”