Posted on 03/25/2003 5:09:58 PM PST by SandRat
Colonel says higher number of illegals is taxing resources
BY BILL HESS
Herald/Review
FORT HUACHUCA -- The increasing number of illegal immigrants found on the post is interfering with the fort's regular law enforcement operations, Garrison Commander Col. Lawrence Portouw said Monday.
Frank Amarillas, a spokesman for the U.S. Border Patrol's Tucson Sector, said there has been an increase in the number of illegal immigrants apprehended and drugs confiscated in Cochise County when compared to a year ago.
This past weekend, 94 illegal immigrants were apprehended on the fort and turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol, Portouw said. The number of illegal immigrants apprehended on post for the period of nearly the first six months of this fiscal year is more than twice the number taken into custody for the entire 12 months of the previous fiscal year, according to post figures.
To help provide more security because of the increasing illegal immigrant problem, the colonel said the post's military police, which does patrol duty and is the special environmental protection force, is being augmented by members of the Arkansas Army National Guard. The guardsmen are members of 2nd Battery, 2nd Battalion of the 142nd Field Artillery and were sent to the post last year . . . .
Who says we're not being invaded?
I thought these guys were in Iraq?
(...is this the U.N. branch here at home?)
Say what?
:-(
Colonel says higher number of illegals is taxing resources
BY BILL HESS
Herald/Review
FORT HUACHUCA -- The increasing number of illegal immigrants found on the post is interfering with the fort's regular law enforcement operations, Garrison Commander Col. Lawrence Portouw said Monday.
Frank Amarillas, a spokesman for the U.S. Border Patrol's Tucson Sector, said there has been an increase in the number of illegal immigrants apprehended and drugs confiscated in Cochise County when compared to a year ago.
This past weekend, 94 illegal immigrants were apprehended on the fort and turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol, Portouw said. The number of illegal immigrants apprehended on post for the period of nearly the first six months of this fiscal year is more than twice the number taken into custody for the entire 12 months of the previous fiscal year, according to post figures.
To help provide more security because of the increasing illegal immigrant problem, the colonel said the post's military police, which does patrol duty and is the special environmental protection force, is being augmented by members of the Arkansas Army National Guard. The guardsmen are members of 2nd Battery, 2nd Battalion of the 142nd Field Artillery and were sent to the post last year to help with force protection.
Some of the Arkansas National Guard soldiers are policemen who were activated and understand law enforcement, Portouw said.
Except in a few incidents, most of the illegal immigrants avoid the post housing areas and are apprehended in the canyons at Slaughterhouse Wash on the far northern part of the post, he said.
"Some of the coyotes (people smugglers) tell them Sierra Vista is Phoenix," the colonel said. Many of the illegal immigrants are trying to make it to Phoenix, which is about 180 miles northwest of Sierra Vista.
When the illegal immigrants are challenged by soldiers, many do not give any trouble, though a few try to run, Portouw said. They seem to be afraid of soldiers, he added.
The post's fragile environmental sites have been damaged by the trash that illegal immigrants are dumping, the colonel said.
All illegal immigrants apprehended on the fort are turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol, Portouw said, adding the agency responds quickly.
Amarillas said the U.S. Border Patrol also has responded to the post to help look for illegal immigrants or to take into custody those apprehended by fort personnel.
"There is no secret they (illegal immigrants) are coming over the Huachuca Mountains," he said.
From Oct. 1 through Sunday night, 139,265 illegal immigrants have been apprehended in the Tucson Sector, which includes Cochise County. Of that number, 67,432 were apprehended by agents at the Douglas, Naco and Willcox stations, Amarillas said.
In comparison, the numbers for Oct. 1, 2001 to March 23, 2002, were 123,875 for the entire sector and 61,371 by agents at the three county stations, Amarillas added.
Border Patrol agents also confiscated more drugs, Amarillas said. From Oct. 1 through Sunday, 200,000 pounds of marijuana have been confiscated in the sector. For the same period a year ago, the amount was about 180,000 pounds, he added.
For the two stations along the immediate border, Douglas and Naco, the amount of marijuana confiscated went up the most in Douglas, Amarillas said. So far this fiscal year 20,754 pounds of marijuana have been confiscated compared to 10,655 pounds the previous year by Douglas Station agents. For the Naco station, the amounts are 21,543 pounds and 21,010 pounds respectively.
The war started last week! Last Week! Yet this sensitive Army installation allowed at least 94 border intruders to waltz onto the base a couple of days after the war started! 94!!! How many did they miss? How many of those were terrorists? How many bombs, WMDs or whatever were planted!!!? How many are still hidden on base awaiting the signal to attack?
This is intolerable! Absolutely, freakin' intolerable!!!
So far we've had elements of the California Army National Guard and now the Arkansas Army National Guard that have rotated through since 9/11.
They provide security yes but they also get some valuable training in climate and terrain that is similar to Bosnia and Northern Iraq.
I see those that are on the Gates a couple of times a day. They are smartly turned out, go about their duties in a very professional manner, and I'm proud to return their salute as I enter post making it a point to always address them by name and rank then wishing them to have a good day as I pull away.
Many do, good thing AZ has an open carry law and a CCW now.
You just can't do that on post.
Don't you feel safe?
Don't holler at the post or its command structure. They are doing the best they can with what they have.
If you want to yell at anyone yell at Kolbe, Grihalva, Pasture, McCain, Kyle, and all the rest of the "Me.Ch.A. Azatlan" sympathizers.
At one time, before "Bubba" got in, if you'll remember, we had an entire MP Battalion on post. Then "Bubba and Mrs. Bubba" gutted our military and everything else related to National Security to pay for "Social Programs."
A well put caution. But there is no ism but Americanism and there is no such thing as a hyphenated American, paraphrasing T.R. from a speech in 1915.
It's pretty ridiculous that a country so wealthy in resources and oil, and NAFTA jobs can't do better for it's people that they have to leave by the millions. Mexico is actually one of the world's wealthier nations ---it's a crime the way that government is.
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