Checkpoint crashing sparks 65-mile chase [South Texas]

A driver who sped through a Border Patrol checkpoint near Freer led law enforcement officials on a three-county, 100-mph chase that ended 65 miles up the road in Atascosa County early Thursday.

The man tried to drive three suspected of being undocumented immigrants through the Freer border checkpoint on U.S. 59 in Webb County late Wednesday, officials said.

Laredo Sector Border Patrol spokesman Mike Herrera said the man sped away when his SUV was flagged by agents for a second inspection.

Agents gave chase until they reached the outskirts of Freer, where they backed off for safety reasons, Herrera said.

The pursuit moved to Texas 16, where Freer police picked up the chase and were joined later by McMullen County and then Atascosa County deputies.

When the SUV entered Atascosa, deputies there alerted Texas Department of Public Safety troopers, who set a trap just south of FM 140 on Texas 16, near Christine.

They laid spikes on the road just ahead of the car and deflated three tires, ending the driving portion of the pursuit, DPS Cpl. Bob Bratten said.

Three passengers were taken into Border Patrol custody, but the driver bolted once again, this time on foot.

"We looked for 30 minutes, but he ran off into the brush, and there was no way to find him at night," Atascosa Chief Deputy David Soward said. "Without dogs and helicopters, you can't find anybody out there in the brush."

At 5 a.m., more than 10 miles up the road, a driver called the Jourdanton Police Department to report a suspicious-looking man wandering the desolate highway.

The Border Patrol confirmed a man was taken into custody. As of Thursday afternoon, no charges had been filed.

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Mariano Castillo of the Express-News Border Bureau contributed to this report from Laredo.

You need thermal sights for coyote hunting at night.

1 posted on 08/04/2006 4:04:28 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch

there were long chases in Houston and the Dallas area last week.

2 posted on 08/04/2006 4:09:05 PM PDT by GeronL (http://www.mises.org/story/1975 <--no such thing as a fairtax)

"We looked for 30 minutes, but he ran off into the brush, and there was no way to find him at night,"

I guess napalm is a bad idea in dry brush huh?

3 posted on 08/04/2006 4:26:48 PM PDT by The Brush

Speedy Gonzales finally gets his driver's license...

4 posted on 08/04/2006 4:27:54 PM PDT by MarineDad (Whenever mosques and JDAM's meet, civilization benefits.)

I think Atascosa County still has a ban on burning because of the drought.

5 posted on 08/04/2006 4:37:28 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch (Liberal rats-beyond your expectations!)

To: 1_Inch_Group; 2sheep; 2Trievers; 3AngelaD; 3pools; 3rdcanyon; 4Freedom; 4ourprogeny; 7.62 x 51mm; ..

ping

6 posted on 08/04/2006 5:21:38 PM PDT by gubamyster

I guess napalm is a bad idea in dry brush huh?

Unless it's your own property.

Folks in Texas are pretty permissive for the right reasons.

7 posted on 08/04/2006 5:24:48 PM PDT by humblegunner (If you're gonna die, die with your boots on.)

To: LongElegantLegs; radar101; RamingtonStall; engrpat; HamiltonFan; Draco; TexasCajun; ...

Coyote Ping!

8 posted on 08/04/2006 5:28:56 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch (Liberal rats-beyond your expectations!)

65 miles?!? Imagine how many US citizens he could have run down in that time. Shoot the tires out and be done with it.

9 posted on 08/05/2006 4:21:00 PM PDT by mtbopfuyn (I think the border is kind of an artificial barrier - San Antonio councilwoman Patti Radle)

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