Posted on 01/25/2006 3:36:45 AM PST by LouAvul
BLAINE, Wash. - A high-speed chase that ended in gunfire closed the U.S.-Canadian border crossing near here for hours Tuesday, authorities said. Two men sought in a California homicide were arrested after one of them was shot and wounded.
The crossing is one of the busiest on the U.S. northern border. Traffic was diverted to the Pacific Highway crossing about a mile to the east as police investigated.
An unspecified number of Canadian border agents, who are unarmed, left their posts during the incident because they were concerned about their safety, said Paula Shore, a spokeswoman for the Canada Border Services Agency. Managers took over and security was not compromised, she said.
Earlier, the Whatcom County sheriff's office had received a tip that two men sought in the California case could be headed to the area, Sheriff Bill Elfo said.
A car carrying two men matching the description was seen about six miles south of the border on Interstate 5. When a sheriff's deputy tried to stop the car, the occupants sped off, reaching speeds of 100 mph, Elfo said.
At some point, a Customs and Border Protection agent fired his gun, striking one of the men, Elfo told The Seattle Times.
The chase ended just a few feet from the border when a deputy blocked the suspects' car with his squad car, Elfo said. One man bolted, but authorities quickly caught him.
Lt. Mark Gagan of the Richmond, Calif., police confirmed that Ishtiaq Hussain, 38, and Jose Antonio Barajas, 22, were arrested after approaching the border and failing to stop. He also confirmed that Hussain had been shot and wounded. His medical condition was not available Tuesday evening.
Authorities in Richmond, Calif., were working to extradite the suspects. Both were sought in the Saturday shooting death of a 43-year-old man there.
What's that old CCR song, "I see a bad moon a rising."
chickens going home to roost
LOL...the Canadian BP, who because they are unarmed run like scared rabbits, are absolutely worthless to the US in guarding our northern border. On our southern border, we have armed Mexican military guarding the drug smugglers and human smugglers on our side of the border. Nice work, Pres. Bush and HSS head Chertoff. You are pathetically inept at securing our borders and making our neighbors respect our sovereignty.
An unspecified number of Canadian border agents, who are unarmed, left their posts during the incident because they were concerned about their safety
Outwardly, it appears so. Inwardly I'm sure President Bush is trying to balance hardline border security, with the delicate situation we have with Mexico as world oil and cement, and labor supplier, among other issues. We do not have all the facts, just the appearance, which I admit does not look good, but the President knows what would happen if we were to suddenly shut down border traffic in the name of homeland security, when their might be a way to preserve the delicate balance by convincing the Mexicans, that it isn't them we are shutting out. El Presidente of Mexico has to get his mind right about illegal border crossings first of all.
"Liberal border patrol. No guns allowed !, ha ha ha. One would wonder if the same holds true with the rest of their border"
Yes, it is true....amazingly! Their agents have been going on strikes over the issue for over a year. It is one of many reasons why I am very concerned about a possible terrorist attack at the upcoming Superbowl which is right next to the Canadian border. Here's the thread if anyone is interested: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1563292/posts
FGS Canada, arm your border warriors!
Just great.
Local paper take on the incident.....
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060125/NEWS09/601250342
Give them boys some guns!
Well stated.
Jeez...You'd get better border security with the keystone kops deployed. Who the h--- placed john kerry and howard dean in charge of the canadian border guards?? Really can't blame the grunts for deserting their posts. No point in getting killed because a pack of damned fools are running the country. Let Martin put his ass on the line.
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