Posted on 03/22/2011 3:46:06 PM PDT by Neil E. Wright
About a week before the authors of a Center for a New American Security (CNAS) report warned that the most dangerous threat to the United States and its allies in the Western Hemisphere is the growth of powerful transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), the Marine Corps Operations Center received a disturbing OPREP-3 from the Marine Corps Air Station at Yuma, Ariz.
It was a situation report that counter-cartel authorities told Homeland Security Today could represent a troublesome new development in the smuggling of illegals into the US.
An OPREP-3 is an advisory on a specific significant event that is required to be issued to the highest levels of command.
And this OPREP-3 was certainly significant. It alerted that on March 11, 11 undocumented aliens who’d managed to enter the US from Mexico had been caught wearing US Marine Corps Marine Pattern (MARPAT) desert digital Battle Dress Uniforms (BDUs).
But more troubling than that, when they were stopped by alert Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents near Campo, Calif., the 11 illegals and the three US citizens (who were wearing Marine woodland digital BDUs) traveling with them were driving an allegedly stolen vehicle with altered US Government license plates.
“After investigation, it was determined that the van was stolen and plates altered …,” the OPREP-3 stated.
A separate intelligence report indicated that the van was actually a privately owned vehicle to which plates belonging to a one-ton cargo van registered to the US Marine Corps had been afixed.
According to the OPREP-3, which was provided to Homeland Security Today, the preliminary investigation of the incident determined that “the original check out point of the vehicle [a plain white van] was the Marine Corps Air Station [at] Yuma."
Separate official reports on the incident indicated that 13 undocumented persons were actually apprehended.
Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Steven Pitts, spokesman for Border Patrol's San Diego Sector, confirmed to Homeland Security Today “that [the apprehensions] did occur, yes,” and that the undocumented aliens had "been processed for deportation."
The three US citizens apprehended with the illegals were processed on "alien smuggling charges," Pitts added.
Pitts confirmed that the San Diego Naval Criminal Investigative Service Southwest Field Office has taken the lead in investigating this incident, and that the investigation “is on-going.” He also said state and federal charges related to the allegedly stolen vehicle and altered license plates “could be tacked on later.”
"All I can say at this point is that the investigation is still active and NCIS does not comment on the details of ongoing investigations," NCIS Public Affairs Officer Ed Buice told Homeland Security Today.
According to other government sources familiar with the bust, the incident has attracted the attention of various intelligence components of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Intelligence Community. They explained that the alleged theft of US government license plates may have been deliberately stolen expressly for the purpose that they were used for: to serve as an apparent official government cover to transport seemingly official members of the US Marine Corps.
Both human- and narco-traffickers have frequently used what are called “cloned” vehicles to transport illegals and drugs. But these generally involve vehicles that have been carefully painted or otherwise made to look like an official company or even government vehicle.
Indeed, traffickers have brazenly used the same kind of vehicles that are used by US Border Patrol and other DHS agencies that they have artfully painted and outfitted to pass as an official Border Patrol or other DHS vehicle.
"The question, of course, remains how many cloned vehicles and with what/whom inside manage to get through," said G. Alan Ferguson, executive assistant to the chairman of the National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers.
[Editor’s note: See the April 2008 Homeland Security Today cover report, “Beware the Clones,” and search HSToday.us for "cloned vehicles" for additional reporting on this matter]
But the use of an allegedly stolen vehicle with USG license plates may be the first time that human smugglers have risked using allegedly stolen US government vehicular property for transportation of illegals.
According to the OPREP-3, CBP agents stopped the van at the Campo, Calif. border check point (located about 28 miles east of CBP's San Diego Sector Headquarters in rural East San Diego County) and quickly discovered that “no occupants possessed military ID cards.” Furthermore, each of the individual’s uniform’s Velcro name tapes bore the name, "Perez.”
The area of responsibility of the Campo Station is largely undeveloped and encompasses some of the most dangerous, rugged and isolated terrain in CBP's San Diego Sector. The station’s responsibilities span from Campo, east to Boulevard, Calif. and north to Julian, Calif. The two checkpoints are located on Interstate 8 westbound and Old Highway 80 westbound near Pine Valley, Calif. An estimated 7,000 vehicles pass through these checkpoints each day, according to CBP.
The OPREP-3 further noted that CBP also stopped what was described as “a trail vehicle” that “was carrying additional military uniforms and Staff Sergeant chevrons.”
Following “interrogations” by Border Patrol, it was “revealed that the van passed into the US from Mexicali, Mexico [at the CBP Calexico Port of Entry] and proceeded to Calexico, Calif. where the USMC uniforms were donned,” according to the OPREP-3 on the incident.
The fact that all of the individuals apprehended were wearing US Marine Corps BDUs raises questions about the possibility that well resourced terrorists could do the same thing, but with much more sophisticated alacrity, like being able to produce legitimate military IDs and driving a government vehicle that isn’t stolen.
It’s much more likely that in a circumstance like this involving terrorists in the midst of an active plot that they would simply kill any law enforcement officials who stopped them and continue on with their attack plans.
In June 2007, three Texas National Guard soldiers on duty along the US-Mexico border were arrested on charges of smuggling illegal immigrants. CBP agents had stopped the white Ford passenger van that was being driven by one of the Guardsmen for routine inspection along Interstate 35 near Cotulla, Texas. The agents found 24 illegal aliens in the back.
In Mexico, it's not at all uncommon for legitimate law enforcement to encounter members of TCOs either wearing or having in their possession Mexican military and law enforcement uniforms and other official gear and equipment, including military munitions.
In fact, instances in which uncorrupted Mexican law enforcement have encountered or engaged TCO henchmen dressed in police or military uniforms driving official vehicles have steadily risen in recent years - coinciding with the TCOs’ ability to corrupt and recruit members of the military and state and local law enforcement.
In their just released CNAS report, Security Through Partnership: Fighting Transnational Cartels in the Western Hemisphere, authors Robert Killebrew and Matthew Irvine wrote that “transnational cartel networks cannot be defeated in just one area, one border or one country. These organizations conduct activities throughout the region and therefore are able to adapt quickly to new security measures taken to counter them.”
Continuing, Killebrew and Irvine stated that “a reinvigorated partnership between the United States and Colombia, Mexico and the nations of Central America is the most effective means to attack this transnational threat and promote the rule of law and justice throughout the region.”
Killebrew and Irvine recommended that the United States and its regional partners “prioritize attacking cartels.”
“While mitigating the effects of illegal drugs is an important policy issue in the concerned countries, the United States and its regional partners should target the cartel networks throughout the region as the primary threat,” they stated, adding that “the United States and its partners stand the best chance of securing the region against the most dangerous cartels by deploying a regional security strategy, rather than directing efforts to just one area, one border or one country.”
>Thank god Janet has secured the border.
Yeah; this would be happening all the time if it weren’t.
[/sarc]
But seriously these guys should be tried and convicted and executed... publicly.
I bet they don’t speak Spanish very well. On the other hand, Arabic.....
Unfortunately that idea would make way too much sense and those troops would be too effective.
Nothing to see here,
Move along.
I said “move along” or I’m gonna beat your head silly.
Move along.
What the hell IS going on here?????
Wearing the uniform of another country while invading that country makes you a spy, subject to summary execution, if caught.
“Those are probably the only clothes those poor illegal immigrants could afford. Sarcasm off now.
Where are mobile firing squads when you need them?
They will probably get an indie film movie deal and a book about it plus all the handouts with being illegal. I would love to be wrong. Their feelings must come first.
Wonder what else has come through that has been caught but even more so what hasn’t?”
Every America hating piece of dirt in the world for starters ,BTW Thanks to the Bush’s,McCain and Odumbo.
“Fine then, shoot them on the spot.”
Actually, we’d be fully justified in doing that. Foreign invaders wearing the uniform of our military, they are subject to execution. In pretty much every country, that’s been the accepted way of dealing with such behavior for a couple thousand years, at least.”
This sick government loves everything that is sick and wrong and covets our enemies.
“Wearing the uniform of another country while invading that country makes you a spy, subject to summary execution, if caught.”
Exactly and they will be freed most likely,By the most disgusting and Anti-American policies ever devised in this country to punish Americans.
I agree on all three of them being guilty on that one. Jorge dropped the ball big time so often domestically.
bttt
What, a Piss poor job that RINO did on our security!We had his worthless open border ,no drill Brother down here as Governor.
Why I favor the 3 “S’s” method of dealing with armed invaders.
Even if you don’t actually do the 3 “S’s”, I would recommend to property owners near the boarder that they dig and then fill back up some grave-sized holes and attach some crosses made from twiggs and wire. The message will be clear to those that happen upon them.
“Why I favor the 3 “S’s” method of dealing with armed invaders.
Even if you don’t actually do the 3 “S’s”, I would recommend to property owners near the boarder that they dig and then fill back up some grave-sized holes and attach some crosses made from twiggs and wire. The message will be clear to those that happen upon them.”
Sir Yes,That is the best method, as there is no law for Americans down there.
“I don’t know what it will take for people to wake up and get rid of the treasonous politicians who allow illegals to commit crime after crime and accuse anyone who tries to protect our great country of racism, etc. As long as we have the current politicians things will only continue to get worse.”
Utah is a GOP state and they just voted to give illegals amnesty and the Utah Repub Governor signed it. Something about the Mormon and Catholic Churches supporting it.
They were in a Obama Chevy US Govt van GS43 govy plates.
Ping!
Picked the one to above one to me, detective, to comment. I want to say we have been sold down the river, yet my thought is the end of the river is in view.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.