Posted on 11/20/2005 5:34:36 AM PST by FerdieMurphy
Uniformed Mexicans with guns, bulldozer seize drug-bust truck from Border Patrol
U.S. Border Patrol agents were backed down this week by armed men, dressed in what appeared to be Mexican military uniforms and carrying military weapons, who seized a captured dump truck filled with marijuana from the U.S. agents and dragged it across the border into Mexico with a bulldozer.
The border incident occurred Thursday evening when Border Patrol agents attempted to pull over a dump truck on Interstate 10 in Hudspeth County, Texas. The driver fled from the agents, exiting the freeway and driving toward the Rio Grande which runs within 2 miles of the interstate in this portion of West Texas.
The driver abandoned the truck after it became stuck in the river bed, escaping into Mexico.
Agents called for reinforcement from the Texas state troopers and Hudspeth County sheriff and began unloading the haul – estimated to have been nearly 3 tons – when everything changed.
Officers "started to retrieve the bundles when the armed subjects appeared," said Agent Ramiro Cordero, Border Patrol spokesman.
According to Hudspeth County Chief Deputy Mike Doyal, the dump truck driver returned with armed men, some of whom drove "official looking vehicles with overhead lights." Some of those armed, Doyal told the El Paso Times, appeared to be Mexican soldiers in uniform with military weapons.
"It's a very serious incident," Doyal said. "We are very fortunate ... no one got hurt. Everyone had the presence of mind not to cause an international incident, or start shooting."
As WorldNetDaily has reported, there are widespread reports of U.S.-trained Mexican commandos, called the Zetas, making cross-border runs into U.S. territory in military-style vehicles, armed with automatic weapons.
The Zetas were trained as elite commandos by U.S. forces to combat the drug cartels, but they have switched sides and are working for the drug smugglers in the border area posing a special hazard to American law enforcement and Border Patrol agents, according to a U.S. Justice Department memo. Under the control of reputed drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the Zetas are conducting a bloody war for control of the entire southern border in an effort to secure a monopoly on drug-smuggling and people-smuggling routes.
As both sides faced off, a bulldozer appeared from the Mexico side of the river and was used by the armed men to pull the dump truck – and the two-thirds of the marijuana that had not yet been unloaded – into Mexico. The bulldozer, Doyal said, is believed to be used regularly to make makeshift crossings over the Rio Grande.
The "armed encounter with drug smugglers," as Cordero described it, is under investigation. No confirmation was made as to whether or not the "soldiers" belonged to the Mexican military.
Yeah, I know. I saw that after I posted. Too bad we don't have an automatic 30 second delete option:').
And thanks for the link to the original. I had wanted to read it!
Here's the google cache link in case people don't want to sign up for the OC Register:
http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:rwr4-KERytwJ:www.ocregister.com/ocr/2004/08/22/sections/news/focus_politics/article_211555.php+george+p+bush+border+agents+mexico+orange+county+register&hl=en
Oh, it's been hushed up. There was very little notice of it at the time, I believe.
This is outrageous. I'm so disgusted about this invasion on our country, and with those who are helping the invaders.
I'm glad you posted this; I won't forget what the President's nephew thinks of American law enforcement.
When I talked to people at work about it they just shrug their shoulders and tell me great their kids are at learning Spanish in school.
"The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government,
1. The act of invading; the act of encroaching upon the rights or possessions of another; encroachment; trespass.
idyots
Here's an article in the Austin "newspaper" - just a little note in the "Texas Digest" section. Evidently no big deal.
http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/metro/stories/11/20texroundup.html
Besides the WND article, there's only one more that I found on a Google News search, in the El Paso news:
http://www.borderlandnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051119/NEWS/511190338/1001
Pot-laden truck creates armed standoff
Daniel Borunda
El Paso Times
A marijuana-laden dump truck got stuck in the Rio Grande on Thursday evening in Hudspeth County, leading to a standoff between U.S. law enforcement and what appeared to be the Mexican military, sheriff officials said.
"It's a very serious incident," Hudspeth County Chief Deputy Mike Doyal said.
"We are very fortunate (Thursday) night no one got hurt," Doyal said. "Everyone had the presence of mind not to cause an international incident, or start shooting."
The incident began when Border Patrol agents tried to stop the dump truck on Interstate 10, sheriff's officials said. The truck fled to Mexico in the Neely's Crossing area.
The truck got stuck in the riverbed, and the driver took off running. Agents "started to retrieve the bundles (of marijuana) when the armed subjects appeared," said Agent Ramiro Cordero, a Border Patrol spokesman.
The Border Patrol called Hudspeth County sheriff's deputies and Texas state troopers for backup, both agencies confirmed.
Doyal said the truck driver returned with the armed men, including men who arrived in official-looking vehicles with overhead lights and what appeared to be Mexican soldiers in uniform and with military-style rifles.
The Mexican army is used in anti-narcotics operations. Army officials could not be reached for comment.
The standoff ended when the "soldiers" used a bulldozer to pull the dump truck into Mexico, sheriff's officials said.
Doyal said the bulldozer is kept in the area and is suspected of being used to create makeshift paths across the river.
"The 1,850 pounds confiscated (by U.S. authorities) was probably a third of what was in the truck. The rest went into the Mexican side," Doyal said.
Cordero, the Border Patrol spokesman, described the incident as an "armed encounter with drug smugglers" but would not confirm whether the Mexican military was involved. Investigations into the incident continue.
Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com; 546-6102.
I sure hope these people had some kind of work permits from the immigration people before they did this work.
What the....? Who typed that?
When I talk to people at work about this they just shrug their shoulders and tell me how well their kids are doing learning Spanish at school.
Yes, only at FR.
And at Malkin's blog.
Though you can find a few other sites where it was noticed, most of them are not big enough to even register.
It's pathetic. Our "future leader" apparently...
US Response:
This matter is being treated very seriously...We are putting this incident under a thorough investigation...We are opening discussion and dialogue with Mexican Authorities and count on their complete cooperation..We will treat this matter very delicately...We will not comment on this incident until a complete investigation is underway...
*Quietly bury this under mountains of paperwork*
He's being "groomed" for it....and we'll be watching.
Oh, that little old-fashioned document? It's of no use apparently in this Brave New World we're in.
Invasion? Piffle.
< / extreme bitterness >
Fortunately the BP Agents were smart enough not to do that a commit suicide.
They were out gunned and most likely out manned.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.