Posted on 03/02/2006 9:50:15 PM PST by Travis McGee
WASHINGTON -- State and federal law enforcement officers appeared before senators Wednesday to paint a horrific picture of life on the Southwest border, telling of violent assaults, running gunbattles, brazen cross-border incursions and threatened contract killings of U.S. officers.
The hearing, co-chaired by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., prompted calls for a border crackdown to combat what Kyl described as "bad, nasty, dangerous people."
U.S. Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar showed slides of battered agents, telling senators that his officers increasingly fall victim to attacks by assailants firing weapons, hurling rocks or pursuing the agents with vehicles. One current weapon of choice, he said, is a "Molotov rock" -- a rock wrapped in fabric then set ablaze.
Val Verde County Sheriff A. D'Wayne Jernigan, head of the Texas Border Sheriff's Coalition, said in written testimony that authorities have received information that Mexican drug rings plan to kill as many U.S. police officers as possible in an attempt to intimidate U.S. authorities.
"The drug trafficking organizations have the money, equipment and stamina to carry out their threats," Jernigan said. "They are determined to protect their illicit trade."
The Senate Judiciary Committee meets today to begin preparing a comprehensive immigration measure to present to the full Senate, possibly by the end of the month. Cornyn and Kyl are co-sponsoring one of the major bills to be considered by the committee. The joint hearing by Cornyn's and Kyl's two subcommittees was prompted by a Jan. 23 incursion into Hudspeth County by uniformed and heavily armed gunmen. The incident fanned allegations that rogue Mexican military units are serving as escorts for drug smugglers, assertions vehemently denied by the Mexican government.
Marcy Forman, investigations director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told senators that her department is still investigating and has not determined whether the Mexican military was involved. But Hudspeth County Sheriff Arvin West, who attended the hearing but did not testify, said in an interview that he remains convinced that Mexican military personnel participated in the standoff.
West's deputies chased three vehicles to the border, confronting a Humvee with a machine gun and men in uniforms. "There is no doubt it was Mexican military," said West, a lifelong resident of the border area. "I've seen them all my life." Aguilar said the Border Patrol has documented 144 incursions by Mexican government officials since 1991, but he said most appeared to be accidental. U.S. authorities have been working with Mexican officials to prevent unauthorized incursions and have reduced the rate by 50 percent over the past five years, he said. But T.J. Bonner, a San Diego agent who heads the National Border Patrol Council, the agents' national union, said that front-line agents increasingly confront Mexican military and that he was "incredulous" that the Mexican government denied the allegations. He cited four instances since 2000 in which agents have been fired on.
Aguilar acknowledged that criminal organizations use military-style uniforms, equipment and weapons but said his agency "does not have proof" that any of the recent incidents involved Mexican government personnel. Other law enforcement officers portrayed sections of the Southwest border as virtual war zones, where outnumbered officers almost routinely engage in confrontations with smugglers fighting to protect lucrative operations trafficking in humans and drugs. "Today, the expected response to an attempted interdiction is to fight," said Sheriff Larry Dyer of Cochise County in Arizona. "High-speed chases on congested public highways and through populated residential areas are common."
Lavoyger Durham, manager of the El Tule Ranch in South Texas, about 75 miles north of the border, said between 200 and 300 immigrants move across his ranch property each night.
Many are job-seekers heading north but others are gang members and smugglers, who increasingly shoot at ranchers and ranch hands.
Other residents and ranch workers have been beaten and held hostage, he said.
"The stories are endless and are only getting worse," he said.
Lavoyger Durham, manager of the El Tule Ranch in South Texas, about 75 miles north of the border, said between 200 and 300 immigrants move across his ranch property each night.
"Immigrants?!" Is that what he calls them? What has he done about this? What can he do about it?
Going to Washington with this stuff is to invite humiliation... GRRRRRRRR....... This is bad.
My son thinks that there should be automated machine gun bunkers, with visual surveillance cameras, installed every 50 yards along the border. These guns could be operated remotely from home computers. People from anywhere in the country could pay a fee for, say, a half-hour opportunity to monitor a stretch of the border. They would also be on-line to aim and fire their machine gun remotely from the comfort of their homes.
It would be a great way for people to have fun while protecting the borders AND I bet it would raise a lot of revenue. People would probably wait in line for hours for the opportunity to play, at least during the first couple of weeks. (The "action" would probably diminish greatly after that as fewer and fewer targets would come into view.)
We gotta get rid of these idiots. I think we might have a good shot at bumping off Carter Casteel (Major RINO) this time around.
The incumbent is well backed, seems qualified, and claims he'll take a strong stance on securing the border. Hope he means it.
Wow, I meant the challenger is well backed (of course so is CC).
Getting late on me here. Time for some shuteye I guess.
WTH's W waiting for on this!
Post #25 is intended as a parody of the UAE situation, as seen through a different context--namely running our borders.
The way I hear it, the US Border Patrol said it didn't sign off on it, then after someone got hold of them, they released a document this week saying the deal was great for America. Safest, most effective form of protection for our borders against illegal aliens is to use Mexicans. Anyone against the idea is no doubt a racist and too stupid to understand the complexities of today's world. (Sarcasm still on)
I wouldn't say it's a virtual war zone. I think it's more aptly named a politically correct zone. The Border Patrol has poor mangement. If I were in charge. One of the first things that I would do is employ SRT to kill any Mexicans shooting at US officers. Instead of Using BORTAC to train SA or Iraqi nationals I would employ them covertly on the border in Mexico so that Border Patrol agents could kill assaultive drug smugglers with extreme prejudice. Any vehicle observed crossing the international boundary that failed to yield would be spiked, pitted and/or shot up regardless of the load. Every Border patrol agent would be required to check out their assigned M-4 with a combat load of ammo. Native Spanish speakers would no longer be required to take Spanish at the academy. They would have to learn Arabic, Portuguese or Chinese.
All the OTMs.
Time to free up some jail spaced so that OTM's especially not from the Americas can be held for deportation, instead of being given a parole.
Suggest releasing a lot of Americans held on minor drug charges or personal use, especially concerning marijuana. Which is more dangerous, a few potheads and guys selling to their friends, or unsupervised potential terrorists, generally from the Middle East?
Which ever party siezes upon this issue will win.
Meanwhile Mr. Bush wroks hard to kiss the illegals asses so as to gain votes with hispanics here already.
And the republicans keep spending MY MONEY.
What the hell has happened to the grand ol party?
I'll tell you. Bush just said his visit to India would open up a 300 million man market - if we can make a product at a price Indians can afford. Question is, the value of a rupee to a dollar is what, Mr President? How many of the 300 million have TEN rupee to their name?
Of course, the real "trade" is for America's international corporations to tap further into the cheap labor, like Union Carbide did in the 80's.
His administration's true dumbness is displayed in believing the average US citizen is as dumb as a rock.
"...Throwing a burning rock at an armed man just does not seem very bright."
But it DOES demonstrate their utter contempt for American law and it's protectors.
My own state is taking a "better late than never" approach:
Georgia panel OKs crackdown on illegals--It is about time Georgia made these changes. It took the virtual demise of the Georgia Democrat party in Georgia.
We'll see.
It seems that our toothless government would order a "shoot to kill" approach to a Molotov rock. Why weren't the uniformed men killed or captured on our side of the border, thus making identification certain? Who is running this place anyway?
If the Mexicans killed every Border Patrol Officer Bush would do nothing.
Except maybe sending Fox more of our money.
bet anything that illegals have murdered and killed more people since 9/11 than the terrorists actually killed in 9/11.
Lets start with Lee Malvo at 13 dead.
your information, read about how General George S. Patton Jr., dealt with illegals when he was a loely Lt.
He shot two of them, tied them to his hood, and brought them to Black Jack Pershing as a gift.
What about rocks that have been doused with gasoline as this article says????
I don't know the BP's ROE, but I believe they would have broken them of bad habits by now if they were allowed to.
They weren't illegals. Patton was in Mexico at the time.
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