Agents, crossers in daily ritual of evasion, capture

Arizona Daily Star ^ | 14 April 2003 | By Ignacio Ibarra

[JackelopeBreeder]

U.S. Border Patrol agents are swarming over the Huachuca Mountains and along the San Pedro River working to stop illegal border crossers surging through an increasingly narrow corridor of southeastern Arizona.

But as a growing number of agents and high-tech enhancements help draw the net tighter here, concern grows that smugglers will lead illegal border crossers into more dangerous and remote treks through the western deserts.

That worry was evident last week when the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona announced Operation Desert Risk, a multi-agency state and federal effort to crack down on smugglers, the illegal border crossers who pay them and to prosecute employers who recruit illegal entrants.

And it was evident as Joe Zuniga, 32 - a Border Patrol agent with more than six years experience in the Naco-Douglas corridor - drove along the border west of Naco. That's where miles of steel wall, permanent lighting and remote-controlled cameras have been installed and temporary lights stretch nearly to the San Pedro River in an effort to catch illegal border crossers as soon as possible.

The line is reinforced by several "skytowers," manned observation posts equipped with day- and nighttime video cameras that rise 40 feet into the air.

There's also a highly visible presence of agents roving along the border in fixed patrol zones, meant to deter would-be illegal crossers as much as to catch them.

"We've forced the smuggler to rethink his operations," said Zuniga, "If they choose to go out and lead these people into danger, that's their decision. It's not something we can control."

As nightfall approaches, the smugglers' choice becomes evident. Vans and trucks loaded down with would-be illegal entrants head west along the border toward the San Pedro River near Palominas in plain view of the U.S. border agents.

A few miles along the border to the west, other groups are arriving at the border from Cananea and staging west of the river and along the southern edges of the Coronado National Monument.

While some of the groups will head north along the river, others will attempt to reach trails that run along the crest of the Huachuca Mountains.

"The groups stay up on the crest trail during the day and then drop down into the canyons once it gets dark," Zuniga said.

Those canyons lead them into Sierra Vista, and onto Fort Huachuca, where a record number of illegal border crossers - more than 600 - have been detained this year.

Agents across the Tucson Sector have apprehended 158,873 illegal entrants since Oct. 1, up from 150,377 in the same period in the previous fiscal year. At Naco, agents made 35,894 of those apprehensions, up from 26,063 a year ago.

But the flow of illegal entrants as measured by apprehensions is far below fiscal year 2001. That's when Naco agents detained 65,772 people between Oct. 1, 2000, and April 10, 2001, and agents across the sector, nabbed 261,202 illegal border crossers in the same period.

The flow of people across a still porous border is clearly visible in the ghostly, iridescent images of migrant groups flowing through the desert brush and washes toward the river. They're unaware that an agent controlling an infrared camera mounted atop a 20-foot hydraulic mast that extends from the back of his truck is tracking their movements. With the help of the camera operator, Zuniga is able to intercept 14 Oaxacans who journeyed to the border from Yeatepec.

Apolonio Martinez Pompeo, 36, said the others in the group are relatives and friends. They had arrived together at the border town of Naco, Sonora, earlier the same day and were taken to Cananea, Sonora, before being moved to the border west of Palominas. They crossed just a few hours before being caught.

"We haven't decided what we'll do," Pompeo says with a smile and a shrug when asked if he and his friends would try to re-enter the United States after their deportation to Mexico.

As agents filled out the paperwork to deport the Oaxaca group, dozens of other agents could be heard over Border Patrol radio, finding and searching for similar groups from the border near the Coronado National Monument to urban areas north of Sierra Vista.

Nate Cooper and his neighbors in the Huachuca Mountains have been noticing the increase in activity in the last several weeks as the Border Patrol's efforts along the crest trail have pushed migrants down into the canyons and close to residential areas.

"The main thing for us is the trash and the insecurity that comes with that. We don't feel we own our homes anymore," Cooper said. "We're not vigilantes, but I feel like I have to go outside carrying a weapon."

Ken Allison can look out his living room window at times and see illegal entrants crossing his Huachuca Mountain property. He said the Border Patrol's renewed attention in the area might help redirect illegal border-crosser traffic, but it won't end it.

"There's a lot of people going through, no question about it," Allison said. "The federal government, our federal government and the Mexican federal government, have no intention of shutting down the border, and they're not going to.

"These people are needed for jobs; they're needed for the armed services . . . what's the matter with establishing a federal policy that says, 'OK, they're going to come in,' and do it in some way that proper procedures can be followed."

[JackelopeBreeder]

Welcome to my world...

[JackelopeBreeder]

Ping!

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[B4Ranch]

Ignacio Ibarra, as a journalist please open your dictionary!"swarming= To move or gather in large numbers. "

At no time since the beginning of the INS have they ever swarmed anywhere across a large area. They swarm in backyards, office buildings, small manufacturing plants, airport wings, etc.

[B4Ranch]

"These people are needed for jobs; they're needed for the armed services . . . what's the matter with establishing a federal policy that says, 'OK, they're going to come in,' and do it in some way that proper procedures can be followed."

Ignacio Ibarra, Have you ever considered that is what the check stations are for? It is difficult to see the stars when you have you head in Uranus.

[JackelopeBreeder]

Oh well -- I wanted a new keyboard anyway.

[JackelopeBreeder]

Damn. Looks like the illegals may not be using the San Pedro for a while. About 10 a.m. Sunday a Border Patrol agent spotted an illegal and gave chase. The illegal left a fire burning where he was hiding and as of now 1500 acres on both sides of the river are burned out. Contained but still burning and the wind is blowing at about 30 mph now.

I'm heading down there shortly to see the extent of the damage.

[NewRomeTacitus]

St. Tancredo (pending) spoke to the House at length on the environmental disaster the illegals are making. Not only do they leave fires unattended and often burn parklands, they constantly cut trails, foul or break wells, deface prehistoric sites, kill endangered species of cactus, disrupt migratory patterns of endangered animals, sicken domesticated animals by fecal transmission through the water table, knock down fences, cut barbwire, leave plastic bags for cattle to choke on and litter, litter, litter.
Almost forgot to mention the chance of lead poisoning for those in the path of "coyotes" and "mules".

[JackelopeBreeder]

The fire on the San Pedro runs from about 100 yards north of the border to a point about 2.5 miles northeast, with most of the damage looking like its on the east side of the river. It is contained, but still smoking and sparking and the wind is still running about 30 mph. About 2.3 square miles of charcoal and ash. Effin' lovely.

I'm betting we won't hear even one whimper of outrage from the tree huggers, especially not from those fine folks at the Nature Conservancy. They supposedly run the San Pedro Riparian Conservation area for our government.

That area is even more trashed out than the last time I was there. A lot more children and infants have been through there recently, too, based on the number of disposable diapers I saw. Thank God the smoke was overpowering the other smells.

[NewRomeTacitus]

That's a huge part of my beef: these people come over here wishing for citizenship while performing the best imitation of Sherman's March Toward the Sea. If there were ever better evidence that Fox was passing off his "problem population" this is it. Fox has been openly encouraging the Indian-predominant population of Mexico to migrate here at our expense. Invasion is an act of war.

[JackelopeBreeder]

Very well put. The damage here has to be seen to be believed. The illegals and smugglers prefer to cross over on Federal lands as they know they are all but unguarded.

Coronado National Memorial has either 5 or 6 rangers. They guestimate 150 to 250 illegals per day and they only have four miles of border.

Until very recently Fort Huachuca only detailed six MPs to patrol the outlying areas (70%) of the post. One of the main trails going through the fort passes less than 400 yards from my house.

The San Pedro Riparian and the Ramsey Canyon Preserve are both run by the Nature Conservancy. Both areas are crawling with illegals and smugglers. Their effort at "running" the San Pedro consists of a small handful of volunteer docents at the souvenir shack a few hours walk north of the border. They certainly make no effort to clean up after their migratory guests.

The Huachuca Mountains are no longer safe for camping and hiking and the south end of the San Pedro River is No Man's Land.

(Yeah, I'm bitter as hell right now. I just signed my 1040 and a very big check a few minutes ago and I want to know what I'm getting for my money. Right now I'd like to do some serious "regime change" in the halls of Congress with a Ma-Deuce.)

[madfly]

It was a very moving speech.

[madfly]

Thanks, as always, for your detailed reports.

Article on Forest Fire by suspected "illegal entrant"

[madfly]

ping

[jimt]

I just signed my 1040 and a very big check a few minutes ago and I want to know what I'm getting for my money.

We're getting "serviced" to death, as in a bull servicing a cow, by our elected officials. They're so busy handing our money to parasites they don't have time to listen to those of us who pay the damned bills.

Deport the illegals !

[nanny]

Now what you mean about writing a check for taxes - I think if every American had to write that check, rather than having it withheld and never seeing it, they might think twice. It will make you bitter---

I do not like the idea I have seen mentioned several times of needing these people for the military. Do we want a military made up of foreign nationals? There is the idea they might not really have loyalty to this country and on a very dark note, a military made up of foreign nationals would be very easy to use against Americans.

Someone just asked me on another thread what did I think could be done about it - by citizens. What are your thoughts?

[NewRomeTacitus]

My "namesake" decried Rome's dependence on Germanic mercenaries. That policy really worked for them (NOT).
I'm far more concerned about the obvious idiocy of allowing Islamic "chaplains" equal standing as chaplains who serve God. Watching a victim of this policy being buried right now on television.

[nanny]

I'm far more concerned about the obvious idiocy of allowing Islamic "chaplains" equal standing as chaplains who serve God. Watching a victim of this policy being buried right now on television.

Well, of course - you are right -