Posted on 03/05/2004 4:39:59 PM PST by JackelopeBreeder
County stations take in majority of sector's illegal immigrants
COCHISE COUNTY - This part of Arizona continues to be where most of the illegal immigrants crossing into the United States from Mexico are apprehended, according to figures provided by the Tucson Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol.
And at least eight of the illegal immigrants apprehended last month near Douglas had been robbed at gunpoint in Mexico before crossing into the United States.
Sector spokesman Andy Adame said Sonora State Police authorities reported that four men robbed seven other men and a woman Friday south of the border.
A person who witnessed the group being robbed just before they got to the border reported the incident to Mexican law enforcement, he said.
After being robbed, with one man reportedly holding a rifle on the small group, the four men got into a taxicab which eventually was stopped by Mexican authorities who arrested them, Adame said.
In the meantime, the eight people crossed into the United States and were apprehended by Douglas Station agents, who questioned them and found out they were the ones who had been robbed in Mexico.
After confirming there were no outstanding warrants on them in the United States, the eight were turned over to Mexican police authorities in the presence of the Mexican Consul in Douglas as part of the armed robbery investigation in that country, Adame said.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Border Patrol's Mexican Liaison Unit was informed by the Sonora police that the eight had identified the four men as those who had robbed them.
Rob Daniels, another sector spokesman, said nearly 52 percent of the 148,186 illegal immigrants taken into custody from Oct. 1 through Sunday were apprehended by agents from the agency's Douglas, Naco and Willcox stations - or 76,112 people - during the five-month period.
There has been a 34 percent increase in the number of illegal individuals apprehended sector-wide from Oct. 1 through Sunday compared to the same five-month period in the previous federal fiscal year, when 110,711 were taken into custody, he said.
Last month the Douglas, Naco and Willcox stations only apprehended 40 percent of the total taken into custody in the sector, Daniels said.
Agents at the Douglas Station apprehended 9,145 compared to 7,708 in February 2003, which only had 28 days.
Naco Station agents took 8,893 into custody last month, compared to 8,750 for the same month in 2003.
The agents at the Willcox Station apprehended 1,201 last month compared to 719 in February 2003.
The total for the three stations in the county last month was 19,230 illegal immigrants apprehended compared to 16,177 in February 2003.
Adame said agents in the Tucson Sector are prepared for a continuing increase in the number of illegal immigrants that are expected to cross the border.
"The trend is going to continue to increase. There's plenty more coming," he said.
It is not only illegal immigrant apprehensions that has increased so is the amount of marijuana seized.
Daniels said 43,148 pounds of marijuana were seized last month in the sector compared to 38,919 pounds in February 2003. From Oct. 1 through the end of last month, 208,501 pounds of marijuana were taken into custody sectorwide compared to 179,865 for the same period the previous federal budget year.
The three stations in Cochise County showed a slight decrease in marijuana seized last month - 6,409 pounds compared to 8,876 pounds in February 2003.
The total year to date for the five months of this fiscal year is also down a little for the amounts seized by agents at the three county stations - 41,866 pounds compared to 40,938 pounds from Oct. 1, 2002 to the end of February in 2003.
I hope spokesman Andy Adame doesn't get spanked for his candor.
I just don't understand why the Arizona gubner won't call a state of emergency and send some AZ National Guard troops in their to secure it.
:~)
Hot Dam! We're in the WRONG BIZNESS!
I always wondered where those mamma and pappa taco stands got the money to get of the ground with . .
Speaking of RHINOS, I guess Rep. Kolbe hasn't been much help to the citizens of Cochise County during this crime spree. I guess he's too busy promoting another crime, the Gay marriage scam.
Illegal immigration and drug smuggling and distribution are a lot more related than many people realize. All those illegals living in the big cities like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles --- they aren't living there to pick lettuce.
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