Posted on 02/24/2006 8:33:21 AM PST by GoRepGo
The U.S. Border Patrol has confirmed that a Mexican government helicopter crossed into the United States Tuesday evening.
The unmarked helicopter crossed into the U.S. near San Luis, Ariz., at 6:30 p.m. and traveled along the Colorado River for approximately a half a mile before returning to Mexico, according to a Customs and Border Protection release.
"After proper coordination and verifications with the government of Mexico, they confirmed that the helicopter belonged to the Mexican Attorney General's Office (PGR) and had mistakenly and unintentionally crossed into U.S. airspace," the release said.
PGR is the federal police force that investigates federal offenses, predominantly drug trafficking and organized crime.
Local border watcher Flash Sharrar, who saw the helicopter while on patrol near County 12th Street, remained steadfast that the helicopter was carrying Mexican soldiers, not federal agents. "That was Mexican military," he said. "You could see the uniforms."
Sharrar, the co-founder of the Yuma Patriots, said the chopper traveled much farther than a half-mile while it was in the United States. He said it was circling in U.S. airspace for as long as 20 minutes.
Yuma sector Border Patrol spokesman Michael Gramley said this was the first incursion by a Mexican helicopter that he could recall in the Yuma sector. Gramley did not have any information beyond that which was provided in the report.
"I think it's happened more often than we really know," Sharrar said.
Sharrar said if the Patriots had not witnessed the incursion, the Border Patrol would have denied that it happened.
Gramley said that would not be the case. "We would surely not attempt to cover up an incident of this type," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at sun.yumasun.com ...
Patroling the border Americans refuse to patrol.
Well, unless we were doing something wrong or had something to hide, what are we worried about?/s
shoot the sunsabeetches down
Mexican incursion across the border ping
Dropping something off... hmmm. Perhaps a probe of our defenses (or lack thereof)?
Nothing to see here. Move along. Nothing to see here, folks. Just move along. Go on about your daily business. Just ignore anything happening over there on the border. Nothing to see here. Move along.
i wish the border situation would get as much attention as this port deal.....
i wish the border situation would get as much attention as this port deal....."'
I think the only way this will keep geting more attention is for Freepers to keep up the good work, and perhaps to find a young reporter trying to make their bones who has the guts to stick their neck out and do a really indepth series of interviews, with photos.
We know W doesn't care about the southwestern portion of the US, and so we might as well allow Mexico have it. /s
Did the helicopter drop anything along the way? ;o)
Isn't this the reason the wall won't really work?
here are some interesting stories for you
Congresswoman: Three Al Qaeda Caught in U.S. After Crossing Border with Mexico
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1519110/posts
Al-Qaida Ops Busted At Mexican Border? (A NC Congresswoman Said Yesterday That They Were
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1519538/posts
You learn quickly Grasshopper.
It's called sovereignty, look into it.
Check the route for dropped drugs...
I think I finally figured out who government looks out for when I saw our representatives running screaming from the capitol because a small plane strayed too close.
Yeah, what're trying to do here, start an international incident with our neighbors to the south?
Sharrar said if the Patriots had not witnessed the incursion, the Border Patrol would have denied that it happened.
[And the Border Patrol replied]
"We would surely not attempt to cover up an incident of this type."
Scouting ahead for the dopers.
Time to issue surface-to-air missiles to the border patrol?
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