Pot-laden truck creates armed standoff (at the Mexico border)

El Paso Times ^ | nov 19 | Daniel Borunda

[dennisw]

A marijuana-laden dump truck got stuck in the Rio Grande on Thursday evening in Hudspeth County, leading to a standoff between U.S. law enforcement and what appeared to be the Mexican military, sheriff officials said.

"It's a very serious incident," Hudspeth County Chief Deputy Mike Doyal said.

"We are very fortunate (Thursday) night no one got hurt," Doyal said. "Everyone had the presence of mind not to cause an international incident, or start shooting."

The incident began when Border Patrol agents tried to stop the dump truck on Interstate 10, sheriff's officials said. The truck fled to Mexico in the Neely's Crossing area.

The truck got stuck in the riverbed, and the driver took off running. Agents "started to retrieve the bundles (of marijuana) when the armed subjects appeared," said Agent Ramiro Cordero, a Border Patrol spokesman. The Border Patrol called Hudspeth County sheriff's deputies and Texas state troopers for backup, both agencies confirmed.

Doyal said the truck driver returned with the armed men, including men who arrived in official-looking vehicles with overhead lights and what appeared to be Mexican soldiers in uniform and with military-style rifles.

The Mexican army is used in anti-narcotics operations. Army officials could not be reached for comment.

The standoff ended when the "soldiers" used a bulldozer to pull the dump truck into Mexico, sheriff's officials said.

Doyal said the bulldozer is kept in the area and is suspected of being used to create makeshift paths across the river.

"The 1,850 pounds confiscated (by U.S. authorities) was probably a third of what was in the truck. The rest went into the Mexican side," Doyal said.

Cordero, the Border Patrol spokesman, described the incident as an "armed encounter with drug smugglers" but would not confirm whether the Mexican military was involved. Investigations into the incident continue.

Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com; 546-6102.

[Prime Choice]

Plus it's always nice to roast hot dogs and marshmellows on a warm summer evening...

We think much alike. 'Course, I'd also be dancing around the fire singing, "La cucaracha".

[DumpsterDiver]

Pot going INTO Mexico???

Only because the border patrol was trying to stop them on this side of the border. The truck was attempting to flee back into Mexico to avoid apprehension when it got stuck.

The incident began when Border Patrol agents tried to stop the dump truck on Interstate 10, sheriff's officials said. The truck fled to Mexico in the Neely's Crossing area.

The truck got stuck in the riverbed, and the driver took off running. Agents "started to retrieve the bundles (of marijuana) when the armed subjects appeared,"

[WilliamofCarmichael]

NBC (a.k.a., N BS) to produce series based upon this incident.

Mexican farmers protect their farm produce from maniacal, heavily-armed, foaming-at-the-mouth "Minuteperon" rightwing bigots. Mexican military coordinates ongoing actions with U.S. trade officials to help Mexican farmers market produce in U.S.

[Prime Choice]

"Everyone had the presence of mind not to cause an international incident, or start shooting."

Uhhh...Mexico caused the international incident the moment their frickin' army crossed into our land!

Imagine how Mexico would act if our troops engaged in border incursions to dump off their citizens? Sweet mercy! It'd be on the front page of the NY Times and an emergency session of the U.N. would be called!!

[DoughtyOne]

Well, I wouldn't voice an opinion against that view. It could easily happen.

[DoughtyOne]

LOL, so you're not going to just vote present hugh? Good for you.

[R. Scott]

How castrated we have become about Mexican- USA relations!

Mexicans vote. Both parties are courting them.

[Captain Rhino]

Depends on the status of the border within the river.

Within the United States, the rule is not to split a distinguishable terrain feature. For example, here in Virginia, county boundaries start and stop on river banks not at midstream. Similarly, for purposes of managing the Chesapeake watershed, Maryland controls the waters of the bay even where they are clearly off of the Virginia shore.

If the border between the United States and Mexico at that point runs down the middle of the river, then you probably had a situation where the rear half of the truck was in the United States and the front half in Mexico. I can see a situation where US Border Patrol agents are at the back of the truck unloading bales of marijuana as fast as they can while the smugglers and their Mexican army security force are hooking up the bulldozer at the front end of the truck. Extremely tense is probably an understatement as to how dangerous the situation was.

I hope US Border Patrol got photographs and videos of this. And I hope there are identifiable facial features in the images. The Mexican government needs to be brought to task over this.

We also need to modify the "Posse Comitatus" to allow the full scale use of the armed forces to curb these abuses of the border. (I'm thinking encounters with some BCTs from 4th ID would make the Mexican Army a little more mannerly.)

[43north]

And probably confiscate the weapons of any who dare to defend themselves.

[King Prout]

ah - that makes more sense now. thanks.

[SwinneySwitch]

Tanks Ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off this South Texas/Mexico ping list.

[sgtbono2002]

Its pretty obvious that this truck has crossed there before , otherwise how did he know the bulldozer and the troops would be there waiting to rescue him?

Just this week we read stories about some buttwipe giving free sneakers to the Mexicans to cross the border with, catholics having a mission for them to rest up in before their crossing, Tunnels dug for the purpose, Now the Mexican Army rescuing a truck load of dope. Come on we are being invaded nightly and when we say anything here come El Zorro Fox to tell us how unfair we are.Its time this crap stopped.

[Czar]

"Bottom line: it's going to take the loss of an entire American CITY for anyone to even consider doing anything meaningful on an appreciable scale."

OK--I propose San Francisco...

[43north]

Where is Black Jack Pershing when you REALLY need him?

[King Prout]

just a heads-up: some folks have gotten booted from FR for suggesting just such measures on the border.

though the past two years have swamped us with so much evidence of the need for such measures that one can carefully advocate them here now, it remains a VERY touchy topic and retains some peril.

please be careful what you say and how you say it... and with whom you engage in argument over it - there are some pro-illegal trolls on Border threads, and they are VERY skilled at baiting FReepers into oversimplifications, overstatements, and "offensive" comments.

[King Prout]

I suspect you insult feral dogs.

[King Prout]

shoulder-launched thermobaric weapons, like the Marines now have, would do for a garbage truck rather nicely.

[King Prout]

welcome to the club! On this issue I have felt like Cassandra of Troy since 1990

[tillacum]

OHHHH, I am so sorry I offended the dog population of the world and especially the feral ones who run in packs. I will lash myself 700 strokes with a cooked noodle. I'm sorry pups.

[Army Air Corps]

Thanks for the heads-up.

I have no problem with legal immigration. I do have a problem with a porous border that can be easily crossed by anyone and coddling of people who violate laws related to immigration and border security (regardless of their country of origin).

I recall an icident in the mid-1980s when a group of Libyans had crossed the border posing as illegal immigrants from Mexico; the TV stations in the bordr states issued alerts for people to be alert and report any suspicious folks who didn't behave like the typical illegal immigrant from Mexico. Now, we hear stories of AQ members posing as illegal immigrants crossing the border. Inicidents like this cause me to ask for a fortified boder. We have a limited number of BP personnel and a fortified fence will make it easier for us to allocate BP resources. Then, there is the need to expand the USCG...