Posted on 12/23/2003 12:31:21 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
An official with a civilian border group says a squad of Mexican soldiers opened fire on a position only moments after it was vacated by group volunteers patrolling private property near Douglas, Ariz.
Jack Foote, national spokesman for property protection group Ranch Rescue, told NewsMax a reconnaissance squad of his volunteers spotted two armed Mexican soldiers wearing green combat fatigues and Kevlar helmets on U.S. soil adjacent to property the group was asked to protect.
Foote said his volunteers, part of a mission Ranch Rescue dubbed "Operation Thunderbird," deployed at the landowner's request to interdict smuggling of illegal aliens and drugs on the property, reported the shootings about 5:22 p.m. Saturday. There were no injuries, and Ranch Rescue members, who are patrolling the property armed, did not return fire.
The group spokesman said the leader of the reconnaissance unit reported movement about 200 meters north of the landowner's southern boundary, a location near the U.S.-Mexico border.
"He waited until the first two soldiers moved into the clear. One was carrying an AK-47 and the other an RPK," a light machine gun version of the AK. "Both were wearing [olive drab] green fatigues and Kevlar helmets," Foote said.
Foote said the recon point man yelled in Spanish for the two soldiers to stop, but they turned around instead. Recon volunteers reported seeing the entire unit run back into Mexico. It wasn't clear how many Mexican soldiers had crossed into the U.S.
For safety, the volunteer recon unit moved to a different position, Foote said. About a minute later "the Mexicans fired on our squad's previous position." Members heard about six to eight shots fired, said Foote.
Mexican Embassy officials in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Incidents of Mexican troops crossing the international boundary into the United States are nothing new, say Border Patrol agents.
Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., head of the House Immigration Reform Caucus, says 115 incursions by Mexican military and police have been documented by the U.S. government since 1996.
"The purpose of these incursions is not totally understood, but U.S. officials have speculated that they are designed to help facilitate the flow of illegal drugs into America, either by creating a diversion or by providing cover for the traffickers," Tancredo says, on his caucus Web site.
Ranch Rescue has had its share of problems during operations. The landowner host for Operation Thunderbird, Casey Nethercott, was arrested Nov. 25 by federal authorities for failing to appear for a court date in Texas.
Nethercott and fellow Ranch Rescue volunteer Hank Connor were arrested by Texas authorities in March during a group operation on the property of Joe Sutton, near Hebbronville in Jim Hogg County. They were charged with allegedly detaining and beating two illegal aliens from El Salvador, allegations the group vehemently denied.
Foote said Nethercott's attorney told him Nethercott did not have to appear at the Texas hearing. The attorney said he would appear instead, but got sick and also missed the date. Foote said Nethercott's attorney filed papers with the court seeking a change in court date and explained the circumstances for missing the initial hearing, but Jim Hogg County prosecutors "pushed the issue and got a warrant issued for Casey."
Now, Arizona authorities are holding Nethercott on a "fugitive" warrant, but Nethercott is fighting the extradition to Texas. He remains in jail, Foote said, and will likely be there until February, unless bail can be arranged.
Federal officials also filed charges against Nethercott and Connor in the Hebbronville case, but eventually those were dropped.
That makes them fair targets for any US citizen in my book. Shoot, shovel, and shut up.
My thoughts exactly. Let's go to the videotape.
I absolutely agree. We need troops on OUR border, not Bosnia's or Kosovo's border. Not Germany's border. OUR border. And every time we go code Orange is just another unpleasant reminder that terrorists have unfettered access to our interior just by crossing through Cochise County, Arizona.
Do you hear that terrorists?! Nobody will stop you if you're careful and you cross at Cochise County, Arizona. You can waltz right onto a sensitive military installation - Ft. Huachuca, Arizona - and do whatever you want. At least 150 intruders did just that the weekend after we invaded Iraq. There's no one watching, so you terrorists have at it. And once you cross the border, it is a simple car/van/truck ride up to the Phoenix area. That Palo Verde Nuclear plant is a juicy target, don't you think? Take that out in a manner that spreads radiation and you'll wipe out the entire Phoenix metropolitan area. And you only have to travel 4 hours from the wide open border. Just fly into Sonora, Mexico from Brazil or Argentina like we've seen so many others do (we've found their plane tickets in their abandoned backpacks). Then, take a quick taxi or bus ride to the Mexican border with Cochise County. Then just cross there and meet your ride on Highway 92 near Palominas, AZ. Head North and have at it. Bush doesn't seem to care. DHS doesn't seem to care. The U.S. Department of Defense doesn't seem to care. Congress doesn't seem to care - especially our RINO Congressman Jim Kolbe. Why should anyone else care!? Go for it, terrorists! Your golden opportunity has been laying wide open for decades and nothing changed after 9/11. < /sarcasm >
Canadian. And it was 2700 yards, not meters.
Perhaps you might suggest to the good Sheriff that if he spent time defending Americans by facing the mexican troops that are illegally entering u.S. territory alongside folks like Jack (which are the only ones DOING anything) instead of bravely "facing the press" then the good sheriff just might have a bit more stroke when commanding control of this issue.
Of course, that's just silly me, what would I know?
TLI
True. Dead men would tell tales in this case. If dead mexican soldiers were found DRT 200 meters into private US property, (extra points for the dead man's rifle to show recent firing), then it would be better than photos. We have classic self-defense and a potential international problem.
Of course the present Administration would still bring capital charges against the American citizens, even if they were brought in wounded from mexican gunfire. mexicans are more equal than US citizens.
Actually, the ACLU and other Leftists would be there to hand out picnic lunches and AAA road maps.
Sheriff Dever is doing as well as can be expected given the limitation placed upon him. He's got a pretty good relationship with most of the border watch groups and is trying to treat Foote's group carefully until he's convinced they are, in fact, a danger to others and themselves.
Dever does not have unlimited resources with which to patrol the border. He's got other crimes in the HUGE county to deal with too.
Dever does not have carte blanche from his bosses (the County) to run around doing Border Patrol's job. He does what he can do and would have surely responded to a 911 call about the Mexican Army troops if Foote actually did see them and had called to report it.
Dever has no qualms about calling Border Patrol if he or his deputies pull over someone who is obviously not supposed to be here.
Dever is a good conservative Republican. I know him and he is good people.
My guess is that it didn't happen and that's why they don't have pictures.
Given some of the activities of Jack Foote and Nethercutt...
They might not want a photographic record of what THEY were doing.
And the tape might not show what they're claiming happened.
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