In a bit of a twist from the standard pro-illegal alien stories on network television that bash ICE, the February 12 episode of Fox’s Lethal Weapon instead bashes the United States Border Patrol. The episode "Coyote Ugly," portrays Border Patrol agents as evil, murdering human traffickers with the L.A.P.D. coming to the rescue of an illegal Mexican whistleblower against them.
The show begins with coyotes unloading a truck in the Mojave Desert carrying men, women, and children from Mexico. One father and daughter, Jose and Ana Mendoza, make a run for it to an awaiting car for a getaway. The car is driven by Pepperdine University journalism student Sandra Hawkins. They are chased and amidst the chaos, Jose tells Ana to get out of the car and hide behind a truck until he can come back for her.
Detective Wesley Cole (Seann William Scott) is brought into the case when his ex-wife, Dr. Natalie Flynn (Maggie Larson), asks him to help Jose who has been sent to the hospital with gunshot wounds, the journalism student died at the scene. Cole goes to find Ana at the truck in the Mohave Desert but suddenly they are both pursued and shot at from a dark vehicle. Cole and Ana seek refuge in an abandoned house until Cole’s partner Roger Murtaugh (Damon Wayans) and Officer Sonya Bailey (Michelle Mitchenor) find them. L.A.P.D. sends in a helicopter just in time to scare off their mysterious pursuers as they get into a gunfight at the desert house.
When Ana arrives at the hospital, Natalie advises her not to visit her father because police are stationed outside Jose’s room and they might take Ana into custody. Murtaugh takes Ana home to hide there until more is known of their story. So, a doctor and a cop are aiding and abetting illegal aliens ... and all this before they find out Jose is a whistleblower seeking political refugee status in the next scene.
We find out when Jose talks to Ana on the phone and tells her to give information in his backpack to an L.A. Tribune reporter. She steals Murtaugh’s car (!) and meets the reporter to turn over Jose’s information. This is when Murtaugh tracks her down and discovers Jose is a whistleblower trying to expose corrupt Border Patrol agents taking bribes from coyotes. It was Border Patrol agents after them the whole time!
The Border Patrol agents are found and taken into custody. The police department holds a press conference announcing that political refugee status will be granted to Jose and Ana and the corruption of the Border Patrol will be investigated. Murtaugh and the police captain watch the news report together and declare it was the right thing to do.
Reporter: The Mendoza family has been granted political asylum in the U.S., and the LAPD will continue to do everything in our power to end the kind of corruption that Mr. Mendoza was brave enough to expose. I'll now take a few of your questions.
Murtaugh: I'd be proud of myself, too.
Captain: It was the right thing to do.
So, in order to tug on our heartstrings over illegal aliens and those who seek refugee status, this show turns our heroes at the border, the Border Patrol agents, into corrupt human traffickers. Lovely. I know that California is a sanctuary state now, but that doesn’t justify denigrating those on our southern border risking their lives to keep our country safe. Do better, Lethal Weapon.
