(BP) Agents Fired on During Capture (southern border)

Yuma Sun ^ | 2-24-04

[txdoda]

Feb 24, 2004

One or more shooters remained on the loose in Mexico Monday after firing on Border Patrol agents who had intercepted a load of illegal aliens being ferried across the Colorado River on an inflatable raft.

Multiple gunshots rang out and bullets whizzed over agents' heads as they were subduing the smuggler of the aliens at the river's edge near County 7th Street at 6:45 a.m., the patrol said. The gunfire was followed by one or more shots fired from an undetermined location on the U.S. side of the river.

No one was injured in the shooting, but agents reported that the shots fired from Mexico passed close overhead.

The gunfire prompted the Border Patrol to call in additional agents and aircraft to mount a search, which led to the arrests of dozens of illegal aliens hiding in brush along the river. Agents also seized three large rubber rafts that were being used to ferry the aliens across the river.

The patrol reported the incident to municipal police in Los Algodones, Baja, Calif., who conducted a sweep of the Mexican side of the river without turning up any suspects. Contacted later Monday afternoon, police in Algodones said they still had no one in custody in the shooting.

That shooting and an accident made for an eventful morning for Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents.

In the accident, two illegal aliens suffered minor injuries when the van in which they were riding skidded on a muddy shoulder alongside Avenue F at about 2:10 a.m. and turned over, Border Patrol spokesman Mike McGlasson said. They and two other aliens were taken into custody.

The shooting came after agents patrolling the river near County 7th Street saw one of the rafts carrying a load of aliens across the Colorado from Algodones. Agents were waiting for the raft as it approached the U.S. shore, and the smuggler jumped out of the craft and tried to flee but was chased down.

"He tried to fight with the agents and they subdued him and handcuffed him," McGlasson said. "At that point, they heard some yelling, some obscenities being shouted at them, followed by the gunfire. There was more than one shot, (but) I'm not sure how many."

The patrol was still investigating Monday afternoon who fired two or more shots from the U.S. side. McGlasson said it was not an agent.

"They (agents) couldn't find any expired cartridges or weapons," McGlasson said. "Basically in that area, it's very difficult to look for a weapon," owing to the heavy shoreline brush where a gun could be easily concealed.

The Border Patrol called in additional agents plus a patrol helicopter and fixed-winged aircraft to assist the agents who had been pinned by the shooting, McGlasson said.

Agents found and detained 36 aliens hiding in various brushy areas along the U.S. bank. The smugger had ferried one load of aliens across the river before being arrested, McGlasson said.

A second smuggler was identified among the group of 36, McGlasson said, and he and the first smuggler will face prosecution.

Overnight rains created muddy conditions that led to the rollover, McGlasson said. The van had picked up six to eight aliens near County 19th Street and U.S. Highway 95, and then had turned north on Avenue F when the emergency lights on a pursuing Border Patrol vehicle signaled it to stop, he said.

The van apparently lost control when it pulled onto the muddy shoulder while still traveling at a high rate of speed, as if dropping off the passengers so they could flee on foot, he said.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Should be allowed to shoot back and annihilate all opposition. This is insanity. It is going to get worse.

[GeronL]

Its going to get worse. The militia needs to do something if the government won't.

[blam]

"Should be allowed to shoot back and annihilate all opposition."

Hey. those are gonna be Republican voters, right?<>

[ETERNAL WARMING]

When is our government going to do something about this? We don't pay these people enough to take lead on a weekly basis.

[txdoda]

This is insanity. It is going to get worse.>>>>>>

Some "Homeland Security"........this makes several shootings since the first of the year.

[GeronL]

weekly basis??? I thought it was happening a lot more than that. Oh you mean the shooting...

[GeronL]

and if we need to send the National Guard down there, we should.

[txdoda]

When is our government going to do something about this? We don't pay these people enough to take lead on a weekly basis.>>>>>>

Maybe if these were *happy* illegals the gov't would speak right up.......;o)

[ETERNAL WARMING]

LOL Yes, the incursions appear to be hourly if not minute by minute.

[ETERNAL WARMING]

Poor, hardworking family men just trying to feed their families, doing jobs Muricans won't do......LOL

[185JHP]

Hummers with .50s. Solvable problem.

[txdoda]

Make sure you check THIS out.......looks like the 'sly fox' has purchased the gov. of Maine.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1084835/posts

[Libertarianize the GOP]

ping

[txdoda]

mail call......

[ETERNAL WARMING]

Did he sign it? MG..one would think they'd have their hands full with the 200,000 Africans they shipped into Lewiston. I think it was Lewiston. There was no work for them, they don't speak the language, and to put an equatorial people into Maine in winter is the height of stupidity. Last I heard, it was not working out very well. Just one more lunatic UN repopulation scheme.

[SandRat]

PING! PING!

[txdoda]

Did he sign it? MG..one would think they'd have their hands full with the 200,000 Africans they shipped into Lewiston. >>>>>>

No he hasn't signed it yet. Someone who lives in Maine says there's already folks wanting to recall the gov.

Two of the groups pushing for this......(didn't know Maine had that many latinos)

"Maine's growing illegal alien population is represented by El Centro Latino, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, Asian American Heritage and other groups working to ensure illegal aliens continue unimpeded in that state."