Posted on 07/07/2002 9:31:51 AM PDT by Spiff
(Sierra Vista, AZ) Reports from unnamed informants within the U.S. Border Patrol describe an incident which occurred on July 2nd at a checkpoint 20 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. Sources say that a number of illegals were spotted by Border Patrol agents moving through the desert in an apparent attempt to go around a permanent checkpoint located on State Route 90 just 12 miles north of Sierra Vista, Arizona. It was surmised by the agents that these illegals had been dropped off from a smugglers vehicle a few miles south of the checkpoint and were going to meet back up with the smuggler vehicle a few miles north after circumventing the checkpoint. From there, the illegals would have been driven to Interstate Highway 10 and taken to points unknown. This sort of activity is a common occurrence at this checkpoint.
The illegals were apprehended by the Border Patrol and taken into custody. It was determined that among the group was one Yemeni national and several Mexicans. When questioned, the Yemeni national said that he had been among a group of six Yemenis who had earlier crossed the border together. The report of the five additional Yemeni intruders caused the Border Patrol to dispatch a helicopter from Tucson (approximately 70 miles northwest) to the checkpoint. In addition, it is reported that U.S. Customs dispatched a helicopter to the area of the apprehension to conduct a search from the air. The Yemenis were not found and may still be at large. Sources say that the FBI was notified but that the level of FBI interest and/or involvement is not known at this time.
These same sources report that U.S. Border Patrol Agent in charge of the Tucson Sector, David Aguilar, has ordered his agents to keep quiet about this incident. Reportedly, Aguilar has issued several such gag orders recently demanding that Border Patrol agents keep quiet about happenings along the border. In June, Aguilar spoke at the annual convention of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and told of the governments humanitarian responsibility to protect Mexican citizens who are illegally crossing into the United States (See Washington Times - June 27). As evidence of Aguilars confusion about the Border Patrols mission, he recently redeployed his agents away from the border itself and has instead deployed them into the larger desert areas to rescue illegals found to be in distress. It is also reported that Aguilar has ridiculously attempted to explain away the trails of footprints, garbage, and trail markings left by the hordes of illegals crossing through private, state, and federal lands as instead being evidence of the areas new popularity to hikers and campers because of the success of the Border Patrol at apprehending and stopping the illegals.
Well sure, they're coming here for that higher quality of life. Nothing more.
Top agent says U.S. must care for illegals
By Steve Miller
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
HOUSTON The chief U.S. Border Patrol agent said yesterday that the government has a responsibility to protect Mexican citizens who are illegally crossing into the United States.
Speaking at a forum at the 73rd annual convention of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), David V. Aguilar said that the recent deaths of illegal migrants in Arizona presented a "challenge" to both the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Border Patrol, which is an agency of the INS.
"There are 17 water stations placed out there by well-meaning individuals and humanitarian organizations," Mr. Aguilar said, referring to water tanks that have been placed by pro-immigration and religious groups in remote areas of the vast desert south of Tucson, which is home to the Coronado National Forest.
"That is all there is for that entire range. The temperature there today is 140 degrees. It is impossible to survive."
Mr. Aguilar is the chief patrol agent for 281 miles of the Arizona-Mexico border. The region is now the most heavily traveled by illegal Mexican citizens coming into the United States to gain employment and sometimes education and social welfare benefits and medical care.
"We have had 350 rescues since March," Mr. Aguilar said. "We now have [emergency rescue] crews in each sector who are trained to deploy in these areas. Our mission is to control the border and with it the obligation to protect lives."
Which raises another question. Do you actually believe that the editors of major newspapers report factual information with adequate sources on a regular basis?
I can understand Mexicans crossing the border, to come up here to take jobs that Americans are willing to take, but not at the wages that employers can get away with by hiring illegals. But Yemenis? Crossing illegally and avoiding checkpoints? They can't be up to any good, and it's a good bet the Yemenis aren't crossing to take jobs operating leaf blowers in expensive neighborhoods.
LOL!
Anyone that has been here for even a short period of time knows that anyone that has this this kind of start date here should be taken seriously. So, I'll believe Spiff WAY before I'd believe someone else that posted something like this. Unless the source was DEBKA :)
In some states the Border Patrol has some problems. Arizona is one of them. I'd tend to believe this kind of info.
I didn't say that. I stated the the freepers would go ballistic IF a major newspaper editor said something like, "If my reporter is wrong, little harm has been done. If he's right, this is important information.
But since you asked me the question, no I don't believe that about every report I read, nor those I hear on the news.
That said, I was under the impression the people here prided themselves on accuracy and ferreting out the truth above all else. Your statement regarding little harm being done should, therefore, not be taken lightly. Have you missed MY point?
No.
I understand your skepticism of his sources and I won't repeat the points a couple of other Freepers made about spiff not being a news editor. Here's a thread I would point you to (you've probably already seen it)- Earth 'will expire by 2050'.
Now my point is this- The Guardian, a UK paper read and widely respected by British lefties (and American ones as well) is crying gloom and doom over a report put out by the WWF. The WWF is hardly what I would call a credible source and their claims have been debunked again and again. Yet the Guardian posts this as the gospel truth without citing any references or real science to back it up. This is sensationalism at its finest and is not even above the National Enquirer. If the Guardian can do it and have the leftist hoardes cheering it own because it furthers their socialist agenda then I would reckon it's ok for spiff to give the members of an online political forum an exclusive account of an interesting item even if the sources are as dubious as those of the Guardian.
I agree with another poster- this is what a journalist would call a hot tip and we've just been made privy to the process- no harm there.
So you consider FR to be in the same league as the National Enquirer and the Guardian with regard to their sensationalist reporting.
Kolbe's challenger in the Republican Primary released this statement:
Behnke Refutes Kolbe Border Claims...(Sierra Vista, AZ.) -- Republican congressional candidate Jim Behnke refuted the claims of incjmbent Congressman Jim Kolbe, who stated at the July 1 Town Hall meeting at Buena High School that it would take 120 Infantry Divisions to seal the border with Mexico.
Behnke, a 20-year retired Army office, was in attendance at the meeting. He said, "Mr. Kolbe's summary of how many soldiers it would take to provide backup for the Border Patrol is absurd." Behnke, with two tours in Infantry and Ranger battalions in Viet Nam to his credit, and an array of medals and citations awarded for his combat experience, says, "Kolbe is being poorly served by his staff. I don't know who gave him the figures he cited, but anyone with any Infantry experience at all knows it is way off base. First of all, the figure of a thirteen mile divisional front, as Kolbe suggested, is in error. It is not supported by Army doctrine.
"There may be a rare case, such as in Korea, where the enemy would attack a specific point with artillery, tanks, and hundreds of thousands of screaming troops, where such a figure would apply. However, we are not facing tanks, artillery and Soviet-model divisions on the Mexican border. The illegals come across in groups of fifty in widely dispersed desert areas.
"The Border Patrol simply does not have enough agents to occupy the entire line. Hence, illegals slip through. My sources tell me that 3500 people get off Mexican buses at Naco, Mexico, every day. The Border Patrol catches 500. That means one million a year are coming up the San Pedro Valley as evidenced by the destruction of this beautiful riparian area. My guess is the Border Patrol probably does not have more than 300 agents on a line from New Mexico to a point west of Nogales. The Border Patrol does not need 120 divisions (1,440,000 troops) to stop this illegal flow, but 800 military personnel will help an awful lot."
Retiree Army Colonel Ben Anderson, Jr., agreed with Behnke, citing that Kolbe's statement "is indicative of a total ignorance of military force structure, capabilities and tactics. It is disturbing that we have a member of Congress representing us who is so woefully lacking in knowledge of the border situation and the military alternatives." Anderson is former VII U.S. Corps Plans officer, Europe, and War College Graduate, and served as Deputy Chief for Operations Directorate at the Pentagon.
Mr. Kolbe summed up the meeting as "contentious," due largely to criticisms of his border policies.
Not mentioned in this press release is that Behnke retired as a Lt. Colonel and that Ben Anderson was the chairman of the Cochise County Republican Party. Also, not mentioned, was the fact that Kolbe had similar "contentious" meetings in Bisbee and Douglas, Arizona over the same border issues.
I know what you mean. My mother, sister, niece and brother-in law live in Bisbee. One border patrol agent lives across from my mom and a husband and wife border patrol team live two doors down from my sister.
I go there frequently and I've talked with all three agents. They are kind of open but talk in generalities.
Sounds like at least some of the Mexicans alerted authorities to the Arabs. If only we had agencies that would immediately act upon this news. >
That's almost proof he's a liar, if illegals are dying from the heat, you know people aren't hiking in such an area and the border isn't safe for hikers and campers anymore.
You suggested that his thoughts about forwarding the information without citing his sources carried some high risk and I don't agree. Besides, with all the lurkers here, he's already done it. If the information has no merit, there is very little lost by it. I don't see why that is so difficult for you to understand.
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