BORSTAR trained to rescue undocumented immigrants from summer heat

The summer months are especially deadly for undocumented immigrants who cut through the desert to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.

So far this year, 319 people have died, and many more have been rescued by specially trained teams of Border Patrol agents.

Border Patrol agents on all-terrain vehicles scour the desert in the heat of the day.

"I've seen guys walk 10 miles in this kind of weather — agents — and you're pretty exhausted after this kind of heat," Border Patrol agent Harold Loomus said.

"We're here to save lives and try to find as many people as possible. That's our mission here," Border Patrol agent Jose Bajarano said.

These agents are with the Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue team, BORSTAR for short. They're specially trained to track lost immigrants and provide lifesaving medical treatment.

BORSTAR K-9 agent Gary Gualducci carries a heavy water pack when walking with his dog, Rudi, who is trained to both rescue people and recover bodies.

The border near Tucson, Ariz., remains the most treacherous area, keeping BORSTAR teams busy. Deaths of undocumented immigrants crossing the border are up in Arizona, but down in West Texas and New Mexico, since fewer people are crossing through this desert borderland.

It's easy to see how someone could get lost. After awhile everything starts to look the same, and it doesn't help if you're dehydrated and disoriented.

Some immigrants are so afraid they'll die in the desert, they pull out the cell phones they're carrying and dial 911 for help — and that help comes from the border patrol the immigrants risked their lives to elude.

Gee, and silly me, I thought their mission was defending our borders from the invasion.

In the Laredo sector they are only there to stop "terrorists and terrorist weapons."

BP eyes terrorism, area chief declares [not illegal immigrants or narcotics]

Border Patrol agents dont have the responsibility of apprehending illegal immigrants, Carlos X. Carrillo, chief patrol agent for the Laredo sector, said at a town hall meeting Wednesday."The Border Patrol is not equipped to stop illegal immigrants," Carrillo said, noting that illegal narcotics are also not on the agents priority list.
"The Border Patrol mission is not to do any of those things," he emphasized.
The Border Patrols mission is to keep the country safe from terrorist and terrorist weapons, he said.
snip

This should be posted at every USBP station as a reminder then:

U.S. Constitution, Article 4 Section 4:

"The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government,

and shall protect each of them against Invasion;"

Invasion: \In*va"sion\, n. [L. invasio: cf. F. invasion. See Invade.] [1913 Webster]

1. The act of invading; the act of encroaching upon the rights or possessions of another; encroachment; trespass.

Carillo is a liar unfit for duty and should be investigated for corruption, after removal from his position. The agents under his command deserve far better than this sorry example of "leadership".

From the Border Patrol's own website.

"While the traditional mission of the United States Border Patrol has always been the detection and prevention of the illegal entry of aliens and smuggling of illegal contraband into the United States anywhere other than a designated port-of-entry, the dawn of the age of terrorism within our nation has added a new and high priority mission: to detect and prevent the entry of terrorists and their weapons into the United States."

"The Border Patrol’s mission has increased over the years. Today, the Border Patrol must also operate within the interior of United States — monitoring roads and even some airports where illegal aliens concentrate. In addition, other government agencies have granted the United States Border Patrol certain additional powers to help them protect our borders."

"The function of the United States Border Patrol has been an essential element of our country's security since before our Constitution was even written. On July 4th, 1776 our Founding Fathers declared our country independent from England. It is this act that we celebrate on July 4th of every year. The twenty-seventh reason for our separation from England — as listed in our Declaration of Independence — is the King's refusal to provide the people of America with a secure border."

Hmmm, that last part has deja vu all over it...

From the Border Patrol's own website
"While the traditional mission of the United States Border Patrol has always been the detection and prevention of the illegal entry of aliens and smuggling of illegal contraband into the United States anywhere other than a designated port-of-entry...

I think you're getting your websites mixed up. The link you posted is "maintained by supporters of the United States Border Patrol and is not an official government site."

The following is from the government's website and it says close to the same thing as you posted.

www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/border_security/border_patrol/overview.xml

CBP Border Patrol Overview
(01/11/2006)

Mission

The priority mission of the Border Patrol is preventing terrorists and terrorists weapons, including weapons of mass destruction, from entering the United States.

SNIP

While the Border Patrol has changed dramatically since its inception over 75 years ago, its primary mission remains unchanged: to detect and prevent the illegal entry of aliens into the United States. Together with other law enforcement officers, the Border Patrol helps maintain borders that work - facilitating the flow of legal immigration and goods while preventing the illegal trafficking of people and contraband.

SNIP

Border Patrol Operations

The primary mission of the Border Patrol is the detection and apprehension of illegal aliens and smugglers of aliens at or near the land border. This is accomplished by maintaining surveillance, following up leads, responding to electronic sensor alarms and aircraft sightings, and interpreting and following tracks. Some of the major activities include maintaining traffic checkpoints along highways leading from border areas, conducting city patrol and transportation check, and anti-smuggling investigations.

SNIP

Linewatch and Signcutting

Linewatch operations are conducted near international boundaries and coast lines in areas of Border Patrol jurisdiction to prevent the illegal entry and smuggling of aliens into the United States and to intercept those who do enter illegally before they can escape from border areas. Signcutting is the detection and the interpretation of any disturbances in natural terrain conditions that indicate the presence or passage of people, animals, or vehicles.

SNIP

Traffic checks are conducted on major highways leading away from the border to (1) detect and apprehend illegal aliens attempting to travel further into the interior of the United States after evading detection at the border and (2) to detect illegal narcotics.

SNIP

Thanks for the correction. I believe you know I’d never post something in error purposely - I failed to scrutinize that page as closely as I should and apologize for my mistake.

Regardless of source Carrillo is a weasel who needs to be removed from his position of (ir)responsibility. It seems that he’s taking his cues from whoever altered the BP’s mission statement in the first place. I have no doubt that came from the highest office in the Administration. As someone inferred above, how are we protected by a policy allowing Latino-appearing people slide by when there are very real terrorists getting in after thorough training to emulate Latinos?

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