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BP chief warns of trouble [Mexico Border]
LAREDO MORNING TIMES ^ | January 29, 2006 | CLAY REDDICK

Posted on 01/29/2006 6:53:25 AM PST by SwinneySwitch

Expect more violence as officers move into more areas along the border, said the national chief of CBP Border Patrol during a Saturday visit to Laredo.

Chief David Aguilar visited Laredo to address concerns raised by recent instances of violence against Border Patrol agents. He said assaults on agents in the Laredo sector are occurring at a record pace.

As more agents get assigned to the border, the Border Patrol is taking control of areas that have been historically used by criminal gangs who are reluctant to give them up, Aguilar said.

Danger to agents will continue to increase until those areas are secure, he said.

Border Patrol and other law enforcement encountered smugglers with military-style equipment Monday in Hudspeth County. Later in the week, customs officials discovered 2 tons of marijuana inside a tunnel running from a warehouse in Tijuana to one in San Diego.

Mexican and U.S. officials at the highest levels of government are dealing with the Hudspeth incident, Aguilar said.

In Laredo, the Border Patrol reported shootings across the river on Sunday and Thursday, but the agents involved were not certain if they were being shot at.

Last weeks incidents are still under investigation, but information will be forthcoming, Border Patrol officials said.

Aguilar said there were at least two assaults on agents in Laredo last week, and there have been 10 since the beginning of the fiscal year in October.

The Laredo sector saw only six assaults in all of fiscal year 2004, and there were 19 assaults in fiscal year 2005, he said.

It is thanks to Border Patrol and other local law enforcement that Laredo is still a safe place compared to Nuevo Laredo, Aguilar said.

"I want to clarify this because I think Laredo has gotten a black eye," he said.

But the trend of attacks on Border Patrol agents is happening across the entire border, he said.

"Violence is part of our everyday life," Aguilar said. "It is still unacceptable."

In the western region of the border, new terms are emerging for types of assault that agents havent seen before, such as "flaming rocks," Aguilar said. Flaming rocks are stones covered with burning cloth hurled at agents.

The violence can even be seen as a measure of success, Aguilar said, because it shows the Border Patrol is moving into more areas controlled by gangs.

Eventually, the gangs will give up when the areas have adequate officer resources, but until then it will be dangerous for law enforcement, Aguilar said.

When agents are faced with shooting at the border, they might shoot back if necessary, Aguilar said. There have been no changes in the agencys lethal force procedures.

"The safety of our officers is paramount," Aguilar said.

He noted that in one of the weeks assaults in Laredo, agents never fired a shot.

Although smugglers are using heavy military equipment, it should never get to the point where the Border Patrol has to take on similar equipment, Aguilar said.

"We know whats coming at us," he said.

The incident in Hudspeth County occurred at a well-known crossing point, Aguilar said.

He said Friday that he was unsure if the suspected smugglers were Mexican soldiers, as the Hudspeth County sheriff had claimed.

Regardless of how they were dressed, the men are criminals who wont be tolerated, Aguilar said.

Despite the danger, the Border Patrol nets huge amounts of drugs each year and makes many arrests, he said.

"Absolutely we are in much better shape than prior to Sept. 11," Aguilar said.

(Clay Reddick may be reached at 728-2582 or clay@lmtonline.com.)


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Mexico; News/Current Events; US: Arizona; US: California; US: District of Columbia; US: New Mexico; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: aliens; borderpatrol; borders; bordersecurity; borderwar; illegalaliens; immigrantlist; immigration; invasionusa; lamigra; narcodemocracy; warondrugs
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To: standing united
WHAT PART OF THAT ABOVE DON'T THE U.S. CONGRESS UNDERSTAND?

They understand it all but don't give a rat's a** what you or I think. It's the 30+ million cheap labor and votes that matter to them.

Hell, wouldn't surprise me if Mexico guaranteed either party perpetual control of Congress and White House if the name of our country was changed to United States of Mexico, Democrats and Republicans alike would jump through hoops to make it happen. Whores, all of 'em.

41 posted on 01/29/2006 9:34:50 AM PST by varon (Allegiance to the constitution, always. Allegiance to a political party, never.)
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To: Sterco
A bloody border? Where are the bloody "borders" in Iraq....in Afghanistan?

There are no "borders"

The terrorists hit, run and evaporate. If you recall, our President warned us the WOT will be a war like no other wars before.....and he was not only prescient, he was right.

Thinking on today's war has to be updated and modernized. There will be no bloody border down Mejico way if jihadists from anywhere decide to take control of the strategy. The border will mean nothing. It means little right now because it isn't protected.

One solution if terrorists start lobbing shells at us would be to send excursion troops into Mexico, like the U.S. government did to hunt down Pancho Villa who was raiding across our border.

This effort failed miserably. They couldn't catch the elusive Pancho and his army hiding in the terrain of Mexico.

Plus, I have a picture of our hesitant government sending troops across the border to hunt elusive terrorists. Or even bombing towns in Mexico where terrorists hide among the women and children.

My point is that our government better get its head out of the sand before the present Mexican skirmishers and gangs shooting at us become infiltrated and taken over by terrrorists on a mission directed from somewhere else.

There are also many out of the millions of illegals in this country that can be a Fifth Column, performing sabotage if the situation on the border escalates into a broader war.

Definitive action better by taken now by our Republican leaders while there's still time.

Leni

42 posted on 01/29/2006 9:42:32 AM PST by MinuteGal ("FReeps Ahoy 4" thread is up. Click red "4" in Keywords list on top of "Latest Posts" page)
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To: MinuteGal
"There are also many out of the millions of illegals in this country that can be a Fifth Column, performing sabotage if the situation on the border escalates into a broader war."

Most of the illegal aliens are here to work, not to set off bombs. But it would be easy for someone with evil intentions to hide among the millions that are roaming our country.
43 posted on 01/29/2006 10:01:53 AM PST by Rick Deckard
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To: SwinneySwitch
But the trend of attacks on Border Patrol agents is happening across the entire border, he said.

Is cheap labor so important to the Washington slave labor lobby that they're willing to sacrifice Americans to meet their quotas? Sickening.

Any politician voting in favor of continuation of the illegal alien border mess should be thrown out on his/her butt in the coming elections.

44 posted on 01/29/2006 10:47:05 AM PST by janetgreen (Washington fiddles while America is invaded!)
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To: SwinneySwitch
the Border Patrol is taking control of areas that have been historically used by criminal gangs

Historically? There should never be an "historically". In other words, they're finally admitting what has been known all along; the BP knows where the bad guys are, they're just staying a safe distance away and not interfering. Why are they just now considering looking into these areas? No, it's not because of more manpower, it's because it's gotten so out of control the public is watching closer.

45 posted on 01/29/2006 11:02:08 AM PST by mtbopfuyn (Legality does not dictate morality... Lavin)
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To: SwinneySwitch
Mexican and U.S. officials at the highest levels of government are dealing with the Hudspeth incident, Aguilar said. In Laredo, the Border Patrol reported shootings across the river on Sunday and Thursday, but the agents involved were not certain if they were being shot at.

Ah, the Mexican government is dealing with this so we can all rest easy tonight. Next the BP will be telling us the bad guys (who Fox assures us weren't Mexican military) were merely out gofer hunting.

46 posted on 01/29/2006 11:06:21 AM PST by mtbopfuyn (Legality does not dictate morality... Lavin)
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To: GBA
"As more agents get assigned to the border, the Border Patrol is taking control of areas that have been----- historically ------used by criminal gangs who are reluctant to give them up, Aguilar said."

Guess we don't learn from history???? Let's see, ignorance can be cured....Stupid is for life....What are we?

47 posted on 01/29/2006 11:09:27 AM PST by litehaus
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To: SwinneySwitch
"Absolutely we are in much better shape than prior to Sept. 11," Aguilar said.

He can say that with a straight face with all that's been happening lately? Obviously, Fox has his hand up this guys' backside.

48 posted on 01/29/2006 11:12:16 AM PST by mtbopfuyn (Legality does not dictate morality... Lavin)
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To: standing united
Get the US military to the border NOW!

Absolutely. Who isn't tired of this "the United States is a helpless kitten" crap coming from the people who are supposed to be protecting our borders?

49 posted on 01/29/2006 11:14:18 AM PST by Moonman62 (Federal creed: If it moves tax it. If it keeps moving regulate it. If it stops moving subsidize it)
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To: SwinneySwitch

Change a few words in this story and one would think it was about the Syrian-Iraq border.


50 posted on 01/29/2006 11:15:41 AM PST by IonInsights
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To: GBA
Better late than never, but I'll never understand why the border situation has gotten this bad. It had better improve before the next election or the Republicans are going to get the blame. This is one area that is "Bush's fault"

It's because America is run by lib attorneys. We've become a giant Wussy. We use BB guns and slingshots to combat others with automated weapons.

Policiticians, even most GOP, aren't "men", they wussies only concerned about their own careers and worried about the staying in office. That's why.

This definitely is one area where it is W's fault and he should know better haling from Texas. Protecting your own borders should be nothing abominable.

What's ironic is that a third of Congress is gonna be hispanic in 20 or 30 years.

IMO there's either one hell of a civil war coming or we're just gonna lay down while America becomes a splintered conglomeration of independent states over time. Islam is growing within our borders, Hispanics, both legal and illegal, are growing at rates due both to birth and further illegal immigration, and the biggest demographic base of "traditional Americans" has one foot in the can, the babyboomers.

51 posted on 01/29/2006 11:17:27 AM PST by Fruitbat
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To: SwinneySwitch
Border Patrol and other law enforcement encountered smugglers with military-style equipment Monday in Hudspeth County.

We already have a solution for that.

52 posted on 01/29/2006 11:19:35 AM PST by Moonman62 (Federal creed: If it moves tax it. If it keeps moving regulate it. If it stops moving subsidize it)
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To: SouthTexas
Most of the people in this part of the country know there is a problem but realize most of the illegals, as well as the drugs, are bound for "somewhere" else. It's not like this just began on 9-11.

Not all is headed somewhere else and that somewhere else is still being sold to American children. No, it's not like this just began on 9/11, but it has definitely escalated to the extreme.

53 posted on 01/29/2006 11:23:30 AM PST by mtbopfuyn (Legality does not dictate morality... Lavin)
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It's also only a matter of time before all the current illegals are allowed to stay just as the pattern's been.

I mean why not just announce an open border policy quickly and get from point A to point B far more expediently.


54 posted on 01/29/2006 11:23:52 AM PST by Fruitbat
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To: Fruitbat
We already have a solution for that.

I fully agree. This is an assault on our country. Definitely time to get the military involved. At least some form of it.

55 posted on 01/29/2006 11:26:36 AM PST by Fruitbat
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To: Sterco
The response would be a bloody border. Military or not Americans would not put up with it. They would take the issue personal.

Dream on. The few who would take is personally would be thrown in jail.

56 posted on 01/29/2006 11:26:42 AM PST by mtbopfuyn (Legality does not dictate morality... Lavin)
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To: mtbopfuyn

Nicely stated.


57 posted on 01/29/2006 11:27:07 AM PST by Fruitbat
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To: mtbopfuyn

Anyone not seeing this as an enormous problem either has absolutely no understanding of human nature, has no common sense, is dumber than a brick wall, has an agenda, or a combination of the four.


58 posted on 01/29/2006 11:28:19 AM PST by Fruitbat
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To: mtbopfuyn

Look at the link I posted in #32. All of this could not continue to exist without the full knowledge, and collusion, of those in power. Odds are, it applies to this side as well.


59 posted on 01/29/2006 11:52:23 AM PST by SouthTexas (2006 will be a very good year.)
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To: SwinneySwitch
As more agents get assigned to the border, the Border Patrol is taking control of areas that have been historically used by criminal gangs who are reluctant to give them up, Aguilar said.

I hope these new BP agents dress for success with fully-automatic weapons and body armor.
60 posted on 01/29/2006 12:16:19 PM PST by Liberty Valance (Super Man wears Jack Bauer pajamas)
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