Environmental Laws Stymie Border Patrol’s Effectiveness, Report Says

Federal land managers in Arizona, where about half of all illegal alien apprehensions took place in 2010, denied a U.S. Border Patrol station permission to build a road deemed necessary for “achieving or maintaining operational control” of an area along the southwest border.

According to an April 15 report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), land managers, including officials from the Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture, denied permission to build the road because of environmental restrictions related to the Wilderness Act.

The GAO, which surveyed 26 stations along the southwest border, also found that Border Patrol headquarters had denied two of them funding for infrastructure along the southwest border which was required to “achieve or maintain operational control.”

Federal lands comprise about 820 miles, or more than 40 percent, of the approximately 2,000-mile southwest border. As of Sept. 30, 2010, the U.S. government had established operational or “effective” control along less than half (873 miles) of that border.

The GAO says illegal cross-border activity on federal lands “has increased substantially” since the 1990s.

I received this Sheriff Paul Babeu’s statement at the ende of the release.

NEWSRELEASE
Pinal County Sheriff’s Office • 971 Jason Lopez Circle
Florence, Arizona 85132 • 520-866-5174 • Fax: 520-866-5195 Paul Babeu, Sheriff
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Media Relations, Tim Gaffney, 520-705-8124
Pursuit Uncovers Marijuana Smuggling Vehicle Three in Custody
On April 18th, 2011 at 1:15 p.m. a Pinal County Sheriff’s Deputy was traveling southbound on ChuiChui Road near Selma Highway which is south of Casa Grande. This area is a known route used by smugglers for drug and human trafficking. The deputy observed a 1985 Cadillac sedan approaching his location at a high rate of speed. The deputy used his radar unit and clocked the vehicle traveling at 85 mph in a 50 mph zone. The vehicle accelerated up to 100 mph and the driver drove in a reckless manner in an attempt to avoid law enforcement.
The Cadillac attempted to evade the deputies by pulling into the “Holiday Inn Hotel” located at 777 North Pinal Avenue, Florence. When the vehicle turned into the hotel, the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed and the driver was unable to negotiate the turn. The vehicle drove over a curb and then struck a Dodge Durango which was parked properly in a stall. The vehicle then struck another parked passenger car and came to rest.
When the vehicle stopped, four suspects fled on foot. Hilario Gonzales Soliz (age 33 of Mexico) first fled on foot but when he realized he was going to get caught, he turned and attempted to fight the deputy who was chasing him. After a physical altercation, he was taken into custody. Soliz obtained a laceration to his head and the deputy sustained a broken bone in his hand.
Yadira Garcia (age 28 of Casa Grande) fled into the hotel. She was taken into custody by off duty U.S. Border Patrol Agents who were in the hotel.
An extensive search was conducted for the remaining two suspects. Ramon Rodriquz Ortiz (age 28 of Mexico) was found hiding underneath a parked car. He was taken into custody.
The driver of the vehicle was never located. It is believed she sustained injuries from the crash to her face.
Inside of the vehicle, deputies located approximately 400 pounds to packaged marijuana with a street value of $207,000.
All three suspects were booked into the Pinal County Adult Detention Center for one count each of Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Marijuana for Sale and Transportation of Marijuana for Sale. Soliz is facing additional charges of Aggravated Assault and Resisting Arrest.
Hilario Gonzales Soliz Ramon Rodriquz Ortiz Yadira Garcia
Sheriff Paul Babeu stated, “Yesterday, one of our finest deputies pursued more smugglers transporting marijuana into our country. The suspects crashed their vehicle and then one of them physically fought with our deputy. Three suspects were taken into custody and one suspect is still at large, but the community should have no fear – “The Border is More Secure Now than Ever.” The joke continues to be on us - the citizens of Arizona. Five days ago, we had a desert shootout involving a “Rip Crew” and 15 Mexican Drug Cartel smugglers, where one person was killed, another person shot and six arrested. Our local Deputies and officers are doing all we can and put our lives on the line to fight foreign born criminals who have no respect for the safety of American citizens and certainly not our heroes in law enforcement. The federal government has failed to do their job and the border is NOT more secure than ever. We should stop spending hundreds of billions of dollars in Iraq, Afghanistan and stop bombing Libya and start protecting our own country first.”
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