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Found While Hiking: Stash of AK-47s
Townhall.com ^ | July 2, 2012 | Katie Pavlich

Posted on 07/02/2012 6:18:03 PM PDT by Kaslin

No big deal....despite the fact that a stash of AK-47s was found along a hiking trail in not Colombia, not Mexico but in....Arizona.

A hiker in the Madera Canyon area found three assault rifles in a black trash bag one mile north of Old Baldy Trail.

After receiving a report of the discovery on Wednesday, June 20, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office determined that the rifles were found in Santa Cruz County, and notified the local sheriff’s office.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies then went to the site and recovered what turned out to be a stash of AK-47 assault rifles.

Lt. Raoul Rodriguez said the rifles were “badly rusted” and had “obviously been there for quite some time.” Four rifle magazines were also recovered.

Hikers apparently are now subject to Mexican drug cartels stashing powerful weapons along areas where they used to be able to safely enjoy being outdoors. I'll be interested to know if any of these guns are linked to Operation Fast and Furious however, even if they are, I doubt ATF will be letting us know because after all, more Fast and Furious weapons traced means more bad PR for Holder's Justice Department.

On a more serious note, this is an example of what local law enforcement is up against on a daily basis. It's a war down there. Learn more by reading about my ride along with a Pinal County Sheriff's SWAT Team member. 

Nearby is the infamous Vekol Valley, the largest hotbed of drug and human smuggling in the United States and where a Pinal County Deputy was shot in April 2010. Vekol is surrounded by nasty mountain ranges on both sides. There is wide-open desert starting from mile marker 160 on I-8 and stretching all the way to Mexico. Because of the terrain, Vekol acts as a funnel. As we drove into the area, I could feel that it just wasn’t a safe place to be.

Cartels also take advantage of the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation on the west side of Vekol Valley. They use it as an entry point, marry into Indian families so they can live on the reservation and, if a village is small enough, cartel members will simply walk in and take property by lethal force.

While we were driving near Vekol, Thomas explained the “terrain” problem to me after pulling off the side of the road to show me the “Travel Caution: Smuggling and Illegal Immigration May Be Encountered in This Area" sign provided by Homeland Security. (Remember, according to Janet Napolitano, the border is secure.) He said the cartels have a vast intelligence network. Men known as “spotters” sit up on the top of hills and mountains with cell phones and radios, calling drug running crews in the U.S. and Mexico about where Sheriff vehicles are located and where Border Patrol is cruising. Usually, as soon as Thomas shows up on patrol, the cartels are watching and know exactly where he is. For the spotters, failing to identify where U.S. authorities are located can result in a beating or even death. If a spotter calls into the boss in Mexico or down the road, says that they are clear to come through with a load, but then the authorities show up and seize the load, that spotter pays the price for the loss.

But these cartels aren’t just targeting Border Patrol. U.S. citizens travelling along I-8 who stop for a restroom break often find themselves carjacked right off the road. The area can’t be used for camping, hiking or hunting as it used to be because the area is dangerous and drug and human smugglers are carrying high-powered weapons like AK-47s.

“If you see too much you may get killed out here because they [cartel members] don’t want witnesses,” Thomas said.



TOPICS: Editorial; US: Arizona
KEYWORDS: 2deadfeds; 300deadmexicans; ak47s; aliens; arizona; atf; banglist; borderwars; cache; cartel; dea; dhs; doj; drugrunners; fastandfurious; fbi; gunrunner; gunwalker; holder; humansmuggling; ice; murdergate; obama
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To: elkfersupper

I’ trying to picture the guy.....

Earrings....

Can’t make out whether he’s wearing Gucci’s or Birkenstocks.


21 posted on 07/02/2012 6:30:55 PM PDT by Tucker39 ( Psa 68:19Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits; even the God of our salvation.KJV)
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To: Kaslin

“Assault Weapons”, really?

So they have a three position selector, an auto-sear, and fire more than a single shot with a single pull of the trigger?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Yah, I didn’t think so!


22 posted on 07/02/2012 6:31:29 PM PDT by Loyal Sedition
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To: Kaslin
"Hikers apparently are now subject to Mexican drug cartels stashing powerful weapons along areas where they used to be able to safely enjoy..."

Either the cartels, or Holder's Just Us Dept. stashed them. Wouldn't be surprised.

23 posted on 07/02/2012 6:31:53 PM PDT by mass55th (Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne)
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To: cbvanb

You’re assuming there were only three to begin with! Maybe he kept the non-rusted specimens.


Hahahaha! Good point.


24 posted on 07/02/2012 6:31:53 PM PDT by RaisingCain
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To: Kaslin

The only thing better than free guns would be Castle Anthrax...

Castle Anthrax
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtcSYPjJbgg


25 posted on 07/02/2012 6:32:06 PM PDT by TSgt (The only reason I have one in the chamber at all times, is because it is impossible to have two in.)
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To: elkfersupper

I’ trying to picture the guy.....

Earrings....

Can’t make out whether he’s wearing Gucci’s or Birkenstocks.


26 posted on 07/02/2012 6:32:06 PM PDT by Tucker39 ( Psa 68:19Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits; even the God of our salvation.KJV)
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To: Freedom_Is_Not_Free
the rifles were “badly rusted” and had “obviously been there for quite some time.”

They don't exactly sound serviceable. But the Chicago PD will give your $100 a pop, no questions asked.

27 posted on 07/02/2012 6:33:09 PM PDT by Poison Pill (Take your silver lining and SHOVE IT!)
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To: Hillarys Gate Cult

I forgot to add that they’re only here to do machine gunning that American guns wont.


28 posted on 07/02/2012 6:33:21 PM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult (Liberals make unrealistic demands on reality and reality doesn't oblige them.)
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To: Kaslin

In the late 70s, the canyon was used by Special Forces for multiple training runs. Not too surprising,...unless it continued for another 30 years.


29 posted on 07/02/2012 6:33:26 PM PDT by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo

Hadn’t we as private citizens better move forward to implement Obama’s Civilian Defense Force, Equipped as well militarily and Financially as the military?

Has anyone ever heard of Citizens’s arrest?

Just Askin’


30 posted on 07/02/2012 6:33:31 PM PDT by TFMcGuire (Liberalism Is Hatred)
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To: Kaslin

How do we know Mexican gangs stashed them? They could have been stashed there by Holder’s boys.


31 posted on 07/02/2012 6:34:32 PM PDT by pallis
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To: Hillarys Gate Cult

That’s the great thing about AKs they work, rusty
or not.


32 posted on 07/02/2012 6:34:51 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: Kaslin

I should be so lucky...


33 posted on 07/02/2012 6:36:33 PM PDT by Repeal The 17th (We have met the enemy and he is us.)
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To: Kaslin
The cops will be arresting the hikers who tipped them off.

They always do whatever is easiest.

34 posted on 07/02/2012 6:38:09 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Government is the religion of the sociopath.)
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To: Kaslin

“Mr. Eric Holder, Mr. Eric Holder”, “Please Pick up a White Couresty Phone. Mr. Issa is holding.”


35 posted on 07/02/2012 6:38:21 PM PDT by TaMoDee ( Lassez les bons temps rouler dans les 2012! Allez Pack!)
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To: Kaslin

Author called them Magazines and not Clips!


36 posted on 07/02/2012 6:38:35 PM PDT by DBrow
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To: Loyal Sedition
"“Assault Weapons”, really? So they have a three position selector, an auto-sear, and fire more than a single shot with a single pull of the trigger?

Well maybe they were not "Assault Weapons". Maybe they were Rape Weapons, Arson Weapons, or Kidnapping Weapons... it could be a whole variety of criminal weapons aside from assault.

37 posted on 07/02/2012 6:42:56 PM PDT by GregoTX (Federalist)
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To: Kaslin

FAst and Furious was about arming a reconquista set of Mexican radicals who have promised to start war in red states?

BRING IT!


38 posted on 07/02/2012 6:49:28 PM PDT by Candor7 (Obama fascism article: http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html)
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To: Kaslin
Hmmm...If a trival "3" is considered a stash, I can only imagine the word "holocaust" will be used when the obamacare brownshirts come for my inventory...

Yep! I'm referring those carefully MIL-C-11796C Class 3 protected cans of peaches.......

39 posted on 07/02/2012 6:50:34 PM PDT by SuperLuminal (Where is another agitator for republicanism like Sam Adams when we need him?)
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To: Kaslin

See it:

http://www.blogdelnarco.com


40 posted on 07/02/2012 6:50:40 PM PDT by Candor7 (Obama fascism article: http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html)
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