The obverse side of one coin available for sale reads, “North American Tour 2025,” as well as the acronym for U.S. Border Patrol and the acronym for “fuck around and find out” — a phrase initially popularized by the far-right group Proud Boys and has been used by various Trump officials. In the center, the coin depicts a gas mask, a riot control smoke grenade, and a pepper ball launcher. On the other side, the coin features a portrait of Gregory Bovino, the now-retired Commander-at-Large of the Border Patrol, with his hand raised in a salute, along with the words “Coming to a city near you!” It lists seven cities, many of which actually see federal enforcement increases in 2025: Chicago, Los Angeles, Memphis, Phoenix, Portland, Charlotte and Atlanta.
The coin is for sale by Wilcox Morrell Welfare and Recreation, a nonprofit that the IRS recently declared tax-exempt during the Biden administration and whose address on IRS paperwork matches the Wilcox Border Patrol station in Arizona. A request for comment sent to Wilcox MWR’s dedicated CBP email address went unanswered.
Employees of the Department of Homeland Security, the parent agency for the Border Patrol, are allowed to start private, nonprofit employee unions within DHS, as long as they are formally recognized by the agency and follow certain rules. According to DHS policies, officially recognized groups can raise funds using government property and create merchandise bearing the agency’s name and logo – but they must receive advance approval from the agency.
Wilcox MWR is one of several groups across the country that provide service to Border Patrol agents and refer to themselves as MWR, a reference to the U.S. Army’s “Morale, Welfare and Recreation” programs. The groups hold holiday events and retirement parties, and sometimes raise money for the families of agents going through hard times, including those who are not getting paid during the current shutdown.
Following the publication of this story, CBP spokesperson Hilton Beckham told WIRED that Wilcox MWR and other nonprofit organizations identified in our story existed under the previous administration and had “received authorization to conduct limited commercial activities on CBP-occupied property.” Beckham said the agency was in the process of updating its policies and procedures related to MWR.
Many MWRs also sell customized medals known as “challenge coins” that commemorate specific teams or events. While anyone, including CBP alumni, can design and sell coins, current DHS employees must not use government resources to sell coins that use the agency’s seals or logos without permission, or that the agency considers inappropriate or unprofessional.
Beckham, the CBP spokesperson, said, “CBP takes its branding and recognition policies seriously.” Beckham did not say whether the agency’s Publishing and Branding Review Board, which is in charge of approving branded merchandise, had given the green light to the “North American Tour” coin design.
Under Wilcox MWR’s Facebook post about the “North American Tour” coin, someone named Juan Diego commented, “Sign up SDC BK5 MWR for 10.”
“Send us an email,” replied someone managing the Wilcox MWR account, which appears to be a dedicated cbp.dhs.gov email address for the group.
SDC BK5 MWR, also a registered non-profit, lists an address on its website that matches a government facility in Chula Vista, California. It says on its site that it was started by San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents and that it sells custom merchandise “designed to raise morale and funds for relief efforts.”
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