Vigilantes targeting Mexican military

Tucson Citizen ^ | 14 February 2004 | Luke Turf

[JackelopeBreeder]

Troops help drug, people smugglers and will be shot, says leader of armed patrol in Douglas.

DOUGLAS - Rhetoric along the Mexican border here is rising, with a heavily armed group of residents declaring war on the Mexican military, and the mayor thinks chances are rising that someone will get hurt.

[Redleg Duke]

How about a flight of Warthogs on ready standby to help these folks out a bit?

[JackelopeBreeder]

Actually, the military is here, just not used. Fort Huachuca is a good sized post and only about eight miles north of the border. Illegal aliens and drug smugglers cross through the post on a regular basis.

The funniest recent incident was on Easter Sunday of last year. A group of 55 smugglers with 2200 pounds of weed in backpacks went the entire length of the post before getting caught at its northern boundary. The funny part was that an official government spokesman tried to claim there were only 11 smugglers. Never mind the impossibility of this 11 carrying 200 pounds of weed apiece over the Huachuca Mountains then across the entire fort.

[citizen]

I read the thread "Sheriff concerned about violence, plans volunteer patrol".

Nothing in the news article was over the line, so I guess it was the references to claymores and other forms of firepower being used by citizens at the border that got the thread locked but not pulled. Sort of a middle-ground action by the Mods.

Well, if the border was effectively sealed there would be no reason for inflamed rhetoric to get out of hand on these threads.

This is JimRob's house, I respect that. Jim's probably going to support Bush no matter what, it seems, for reasons he's expressed: I respect that too.

But keep in mind, folks, that Jim's respecting us, too, by not aggressively banning people or in other ways censoring those of us that are emotionally posting our views on these immigration or other important policy threads.

[Spiff]

I expect additional duties will follow, particularly in the Naco Corridor. As of 31 January, illegal alien traffic was up 114% over the same time last year. I also expect the Mexican government to scream like a stuck pig if Sheriff Dever starts handing out badges...

I'm waiting until Dever hands out the badges and deputizes some of us. I'm not going to play "militia" and put on a silly uniform and call some self-appointed dude "General". Ranch Rescue's heart is in the right place, but they're going about it all wrong and things will not go well for them. Additionally, I fear their over-the-top rhetoric and silly uniforms and ranks are going to hurt the border security/immigration reform movement.

[janetgreen]

If the government won't help these people, these people have every right to use force.

I agree. The big question is WHY won't the government help American citizens who are forced to protect their property?. I always thought the main purpose of the government was to protect its citizens.

[Spiff]

Nothing in the news article was over the line, so I guess it was the references to claymores and other forms of firepower being used by citizens at the border that got the thread locked but not pulled. Sort of a middle-ground action by the Mods.

Sometimes that crap is intentionally added to a thread to get it deleted. The open borders mafia is talented at that kind of thing.

[janetgreen]

If our federal government showed Mexico a little military streagth in defending our borders, we'd have peace in Cochise County.

Applauding!

[abigailsmybaby]

Oh he responded...with an amnesty proposal.

[citizen]

...work...WORK!

[Dan from Michigan]

"Two in the chest and one in the head,"

He should not have said that at all. If it's self defense, just fire and keep your trap shut. A better comment would be "We'll do what we have to do".

[citizen]

Yeah, that could be.

I think the FR Mods and FReepers are too savvy to let some moles do that without their getting noticed and then being tossed.

[AzJohn]

The Border Patrol will not see any reinforcements in manpower or equipment. Dubya's FY 2005 budget proposal cuts their funding by $130 million.

Are you sure about this? I don't know about the Border Patrol specifically, but the Customs and Border Protection bureau of which they are a part had a budget increase of $223 million requested for FY 05. I take that figure from Department of Homeland Security budget in brief (on page 67 of the PDF file). Could the Border Patrol cut be rearranging things on paper as part of the new organization in the Homeland Security department?

[JackelopeBreeder]

I have to agree his rhetoric goes over the top frequently, but I think in this instance he did it intentionally as a warning to the Mexican military. Note that attempts were made to contact their higher command. That means the local consul is well aware of the situation, but can't speak out. I'd bet old Escobar put Ray Borane up to being spokesman.

[SandRat]

Maybe he was out sick that day and missed the second S class?

[JackelopeBreeder]

That's where the $130M went -- away from actual enforcement at the border and into infrastructure and "some" interior enforcement.

[nygoose]

You know, given the right set of circumstances, I could easily see 50,000 "deer hunters" from across the USA answering a call for help from those property owners. And if the 50,000 couldn't handle it, more would come.

[AzJohn]

That's where the $130M went -- away from actual enforcement at the border and into infrastructure and "some" interior enforcement.

That budget document I linked in #74 does say they are asking for $64 million to deploy more sensors along the border and $10 million for unmanned aerial vehicles, which seem like good things. But pulling agents away from border enforcement, if that's what they are doing, seems really dumb politically quite apart from the merits of it. Weakening our border enforcement would only increase people's doubts about a guest worker program.