Well, I live near the border and I know most of the ranchers on the border and I’d ask him to prove it.
We don’t really love the BP because they are gestapo minded specially those who grew up in the east. They regularly cut fences and say they didn’t but some ranchers have gotten savvy and have cameras.
Just last month a rancher went to complain and they said there was no way a BP cut their fence and she told him that he wouldn’t mind if she sent the video to the media then, there was an immediate change in attitude.
Ranchers can lock gates on private property and gates on state lease property can be locked if there are no hunts going on in that area. They aren’t allowed to lock gates on Bureau of Land Management property so that would explain the locked vs. unlocked gates.
The BP rarely responds to calls from ranchers and a whole lot of the area has no cell coverage.
Yes and the Border Patrol used to hand out business cards with a toll free number to call to report issues, there was always an answer and way to make a report when calling that number. Now you can call every number listed in your area for BP and find half are fax lines and no one answers most of the phones. One night I needed BP and no one answering any phones. I ended up calling El Paso to get an answer. It is pretty obvious they do not want the public calling in reports and tips.