Fort Huachuca Officials Stop Four Russians at Main Gate

The Sierra Vista Herald Review ^ | May 7, 2002 | Bill Hess

[HiJinx]

For Education and Discussion Only.
This article is not posted on the Herald/Review web site, but was transcribed by the poster.

One deliveryman was turned over to the INS, the other three released.

FORT HUACHUCA – Of the four Russians who were stopped at the post’s Main Gate Monday morning attempting to drive a tractor-trailer truck on to the fort, one has been taken into custody by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service and the other three released, according to the installation’s spokeswoman.

Fort officials first thought they were Arabs, and then Armenians, before they determined the men were Russians, LTC Marian Hansen said this morning.

As with any tractor-trailer truck, the Army automatically has it go to an inspection lane. At that point, it was noticed the paperwork and the bill of lading did not match, Hansen said.

Two Russians were in the truck’s cab, and when the cargo area was opened another pair of Russians were found, she said.

The incident began around 8a.m., and the Main Gate was closed to traffic for about an hour because of the concern, Hansen said. Armed soldiers took up positions at the intersection of Fry Boulevard and Buffalo Soldier Trail, and other law enforcement agencies investigated the incident.

Besides the Military Police and the Army Criminal Investigation Detachment on the post, the other agencies involved were the FBI, the Immigrations and Naturalization Service, the U.S. Border Patrol and the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Hansen said.

The man taken into custody by the INS had improper immigration papers, and another was cited by the Arizona Department of Public Safety for having an invalid commercial driver’s license and released, she said.

After extensive questioning by the FBI and others, and a check on their background, three men were released.

The truck contained nearly 3,000 books, of which 800 were comic books, Hansen said, adding the quartet was attempting to deliver some of the items to a soldier on post who acts as a distributor. She declined to name the soldier.

The truck was released and removed from the fort at 3:15p.m. on Monday. Once paperwork and a licensed driver are available, the delivery will be made, Hansen said.

[HiJinx]

Well, what can you say?

[JackelopeBreeder]

This place is getting thoroughly surreal.

[HiJinx]

I truly believe this incident was, if not innocent, at least innocuous.
Then again, why did they have two of the crew in the trailer? Do they just not believe in following U.S. law?
Oh, wait a minute, that's a self-answering question, isn't it?!?!

Well, time to hit the hay. See you in the morning!

[Joe Boucher]

Fort Huachuca is in the desert very far away from anything. It is the home for STRATCOM. the armies main communications functionary. Very Top secret. If this had ben Klinton he would have let the ruskies in and allowed them to load up the truck with Americas secrest.

[RightOnline]

"If this had ben Klinton he would have let the russkies in and allowed them to load up the truck with America's secrets."

..........and then would have ordered the base commander to have an Army officer drive the truck for them.

[HiJinx]

You're absolutely wrong about what you say, specifically, but more right than you could guess!

I have a girlfriend, a native Russian linguist, whose job was to escort the Russian inspectors during the time we were doing mutual cruise missile destructions.

Although there were never any cruise missiles on Ft. Huachuca (no secrets, here) the AF folks from Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson trained down here. They, by the way, are the ones who did much of the destruction our cruise missile fleet.