...an elephant and a mariachi band?
Posted on 10/13/2006 9:59:39 AM PDT by XR7
Reports of an elephant crossing the river or people trying to smuggle an elephant across were rampant Tuesday while an elaborate political stunt was taking shape near the mouth of the Rio Grande.
It was a while later that the stunt, which was a photo shoot, was abruptly met by federal agents.
“The elephant never made landfall into Mexico, but I tell you something, he could have made 15 laps back and forth, but no one showed up,” said Raj Peter Bhakta, a former star on the NBC show “The Apprentice,” who also is a Republican candidate for the 13th District U.S. House of Representatives seat in Eastern Pennsylvania.
Three elephants, two African and an Asian, were taken out to a ranch near Boca Chica beach to perform, the 31-year-old Bhakta said.
He was in Brownsville to raise funds with friends and decided to get a first-hand look at border security while he was here, he said.
In Brownsville, he witnessed half a dozen men swim under one of the international bridges “with complete immunity” which in turn prompted him to take the immigration issue to the next level.
Bhakta decided to see if he could get an elephant accompanied by a six-piece mariachi band across the river.
According to his Web site, he is in favor of “sensible immigration reform” and supports a border fence, local law enforcement assistance with immigration laws and the use of the National Guard troops to help the U.S. Border Patrol.
“To my surprise, the band played on, the elephants splashed away, and nobody showed up,” Bhakta said of the stunt. “I’m astounded.”
The elephants came from Shrine Circuses, said James Plunkett, who produces the circus. They arrived in Brownsville on Monday and were scheduled to be on their way to Maybank on Tuesday afternoon. The elephants and the crew were at the Rio Grande for less than an hour, Plunkett said.
Plunkett said he and his crew were hired for a “photo shoot” and entered the Boca Chica beach area without any notice from the Border Patrol. However, when it became clear that the elephants were in a quarantined area, the Border Patrol alerted the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the elephants had to be detained.
The animals needed to be sprayed for ticks.
Rumors made their way around town and back to Plunkett and his crew, he said.
“We were hearing all kinds of crazy stuff ourselves,” Plunkett said.
Someone reported to the Border Patrol that people were smuggling elephants, he said.
Bhakta was getting on a plane Tuesday afternoon shortly after the USDA released the elephants and they began their journey back to Maybank.
He said he was “staggered” by what happened on Tuesday and was planning on sharing the story with his potential constituents.
“If I can get an elephant led by a mariachi band into this country, I think Osama bin Laden could get across with all the weapons of mass destruction he could get into this country,” Bhakta said.
The mariachi band was not immediately available for comment.
Holy Friggin Shi-ite.. it's a funny stunt to prove a point about something that is not funny at all!
Thanks for posting this, I'm going got copy it and send to everyone I know...
The funniest one I have ever seen was in the old Robert Downey black comedy film Greaser's Palace. The mariachi band followed the town mayor around and waited outside the outhouse in case he finally was able to move his bowels. If he was successful, they struck up the band!
Click below or copy & paste link of Raj, elephant & band.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAcIGx-nxdI
I first read this story hours ago. I've been chuckling about it ever since. Thanks!
Righteous, man. LOL
I HAVE to drive my car, I don't have to be killed in a jihad attack.
The worst part was when an illegal walked across the border right past a bunch of US cops and they didn't do a damn thing. The cameraman should have interviewed them and gotten their names and badge numbers.
What in the hell are you talking about? What do unguarded borders have to do with auto accidents? (other than RATS wanting to give driver's licences to illegals?)
Thanks.
Isn't it obvious? They don't give a tinker's damn about national security. They're willing to let a few more thousand of us die for the sake of cheap labor.
Not to mention your odds of being killed by a drunk-driving illegal alien!
I know what you mean.
It would be funnier if it weren't true.
Needs to get rid of the bow tie.
BTTT! Too funny!
If that video shows up, it deserves it's own thread.
It has.
See #23 above.
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