Vigilante or Minuteman? Rancher goes high-tech to nab immigrants, smugglers

Sierra Vista Herald ^ | 7/28/02 | Bill Hess

[Tancredo Fan]

Vigilante or Minuteman? Rancher goes high-tech to nab immigrants, smugglers

By BILL HESS - 7/28/02

Herald/Review

DOUGLAS -- Plans of a Californian to introduce a private citizen's border patrol into Cochise County are not new.

One area rancher who is already patrolling the border on his own says he welcomes the newcomers and thinks they are needed.

Some think Roger Barnett is a vigilante, handing out justice without the benefit of law.

Others see the man as a modern Minuteman, defending family, friends and property against intruders -- hundreds of would-be illegal immigrants and dozens of drug smugglers trying to use his ranch as an avenue north.

Barnett shrugs off being called a vigilante. "It doesn't apply to me. From what I've learned a vigilante goes out and captures them, has a trial and executes them."

Barnett's 22,000-acre ranch is just two miles from the U.S.-Mexico border -- a perfect pathway for those seeking to enter the United States illegally. He owns about 7,000 acres of the ranch and leases the rest from the State Land Department for grazing his 250 head of cattle.

Barnett actively seeks out trespassers on his property and then holds them for the U.S. Border Patrol.

In the past, he has been accused of threatening illegal immigrants with weapons. He has been investigated by county and federal officials, but no charges have been filed.

He also has been praised by county and federal officials for saving the lives of illegal immigrants by giving them water and food.

A soft-spoken man, who easily laughs and jokes, Barnett said he knows not to cross the line between legally protecting his property and taking the law into his own hands.

"From what I understand there is a special FBI investigator up in Phoenix waiting for me to do something to jump on me." Laughing, he added, "He's going to sit up there a long time."

Last year, Barnett said he and his family were responsible for turning over more than 2,100 illegal immigrants to the federal government. Since the first of this year, the number is 1,644. In the past couple of years, more than a ton of marijuana has been found on the ranch and turned over to the government, Barnett said.

The largest group of illegal immigrants he has held and turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol included 86 people and the largest number of drug smugglers was 18.

He combines the ways of the Old West and modern technology to patrol his property.

Born and raised in Bisbee, Barnett traces his family's connection to Cochise County to the late 1800s.

An experienced tracker, Barnett will spend hours following the footprints of trespassers. He learned some of his tracking skills from U.S. Border Patrol agents, he said.

Instead of a horse, Barnett is more apt to patrol the ranch on weekends in a pickup truck, with an all-terrain vehicle in the truck's bed to get into the more rugged land. A businessman with offices in Sierra Vista, Benson, Willcox, Tucson and Phoenix, Barnett said during the weekdays he stays at his Sierra Vista residence.

Even though he's away from the ranch, the search for trespassers doesn't stop. He has installed high-tech sensors along paths he knows smugglers and would-be immigrants use to make their way north.

Saturday, while riding along one of the many dirt roads that crisscross his property, a monitor in the truck would go off now and then.

Pointing out the driver's side window, Barnett would indicate where one of the 11 sensors is buried. An antenna that blends into the landscape extends from each sensor to send the alarm. The alert also goes off at the main ranch house.

The system provides a digital message telling Barnett which alarm was triggered and why.

"It's picked us up," Barnett said as the truck alarm sounded.

When a vehicle goes by a sensor, a number two appears. If it is people setting off the devices, the number one appears.

The 2-year-old system cost Barnett about $25,000 to install.

He decided to set up his own surveillance system when he came to believe the federal government just wasn't going to do the job. Most of the Border Patrol agents want to do their jobs but the agency's leadership won't let them, Barnett claims.

Barnett believes the United States should use troops to safeguard the border.

He is convinced that while most people living along the border understand the problem, the rest of the country has no idea what is happening.

Barnett supports Glenn Spencer's plan for an American Border Patrol. The Sherman Oaks, Calif., man is planning on moving to Cochise County in the next few weeks and establishing the patrol along the border.

Barnett said the organization will provide information to the people of the United States on what is really happening on the border.

Spencer will be bringing in a lot of high-tech equipment to be used in providing real time video of border incursions and will gather other information for the American people and law enforcement agencies, he said.

The Southern Poverty Law Center -- a well-known civil rights organization headquartered in Alabama -- lists Spencer's Voice of Citizens Together and American Patrol as hate groups.

The American Border Patrol is not listed. A new group, Spencer has stressed it is separate from his other enterprises. At the same time, Spencer is accepting contributions to the American Border Patrol through the American Patrol.

The Southern Poverty Law Center publication calls Spencer, "one of the hardest line anti-immigrant ideologues now operating."

Barnett said the Southern Poverty Law Center "probably considers me a hate group. What they come up with wouldn't surprise me a bit and I don't care. They are so far left of center it is unreal as far as I'm concerned."

Barnett said he hopes the people of Cochise County will give Spencer the opportunity to prove his value in controlling the border.

Barnett said he will support Spencer giving him the right to install hidden cameras on his property "as I believe all the ranchers will do."

"I think it might take a little while but it (the American Border Patrol) will go over. They (country residents) are still unsure, unclear of what he (Spencer) is going to do. But after they find out what will happen they will support it," Barnett said.

There are many who are "champing at the bit" waiting for Spencer to show up and start his operation on Sept. 1, he added.

(Links to articles on the above website are changed daily)

[FITZ]

There's an awful lot of oil down there in Mexico (second highest reserves in the Western Hemisphere)--and we should try to cut back on Saudi oil. Plus all those beautiful but undeveloped coasts. Lots of good jobs could be made in Mexico if they'd allow their resources to be developed and allow for their underclass to participate and reap some of the rewards. The elite don't want that though but I think we should make it clear it's time for some changes.

[Age of Reason]

I still think the idea of a strictly enforced and monitored "guest worker" program, offers the best alternative for both business and the workers. Come over, work for the period required, pay taxes and then go home.

Why? Why do we need them to come here to begin with?

If we can strictly enforce a "guest worker" program, then we can strictly enforce a "no worker" program.

[Age of Reason]

I like your idea of bounty hunters. It would create thousands of new jobs too!

Yes--but would they be jobs Americans are willing to do?

[Shooter 2.5]

"Most of the Border Patrol agents want to do their jobs but the agency's leadership won't let them, Barnett claims."

It's time for new leadership.

[Publius6961]

I can't wait to see the real-time footage, that Spenser's going to broadcast, of what's happening at the border on the internet.

What a wonnderful idea!
I would feel good about having my taxpayer dollars spent installing cameras every 500 feet as far as the eye can see.

And monitored 24/7 by volunteer citizens. Citizens at least 10 years and unequivocally dedicated to the American ideals regardless of how proud they might be of their cultural heritage from elsewhere.

Just think. We can have actual mug shots of every criminal coming over the border, and a running tab of how many have arrived in the last 24 hours.

Now if we can just set up similar cameras at voting booths and hospitals...

Would it bother me? not one bit. I am a citizen, legal, never hyphenated, pay my taxes and don't do recreational drugs.

Admittedly boring, but I always sleep well at night.

[janetgreen]

Yes--but would they be jobs Americans are willing to do?

;^ )

[thepitts]

"From what I understand there is a special FBI investigator up in Phoenix waiting for me to do something to jump on me."

Well, it's not like they have anything better to do.

[FITZ]

I don't know if we need them here or not ---but a guest worker program could allow them to be screened and background-checked and could be set up to encourage them to return home ---which is what many who actually come to work here intend to do anyhow. Those planning to get on welfare of course or take good jobs of course don't plan on going back. We definitely don't need those filling up our government housing projects but some of the agricultural and domestic workers aren't here to mooch.

[GaConfed]

but if you are in construction on a small scale, in the South, Midwest, even as far east and north as New York, the Mexican “exchange student” is the back bone of the operation, especially in the building of private homes. They are hard workers and talented. However, being talented doesn’t excuse them or the employer for breaking the law.

Yes, they are hard workers in general, however, I must disagree with you about the talented part. From what I have seen and heard about here in my locale they can throw up a house in short order, but their skill level leaves much to be desired. Case in point: A new subdivision of 26 houses was thrown up in about two months last summer in a neighboring county by a contractor who used Mexican labor exclusively. The first 4 of the houses that were sold were found to have major structual damage in multiples. The county building inspectors wound up condemning all the houses. The developers eventually had them all torn down and are having to start all over again. That's what their strictly bottom line mentality got them. I don't feel sorry for them at all.

[Sabertooth]

There's an awful lot of oil down there in Mexico (second highest reserves in the Western Hemisphere)--and we should try to cut back on Saudi oil. Plus all those beautiful but undeveloped coasts.

Not to mention that the mineral-rich Rocky Mountains continue south of the border.

Lots of good jobs could be made in Mexico if they'd allow their resources to be developed and allow for their underclass to participate and reap some of the rewards.

I've heard lately that a lot of the maquiladoras are packing up for China, partly as a result of China's entry into the WTO. Not only is that bad for Mexico's economy, it creates a whole new class of folks who aren't likely to return to the farm now that they've gotten a taste of a somewhat modern economy.

Guess where they're headed?

[Age of Reason]

I've been saying things here for years very similar to what you've said . . . and more:

Any national politician who would seriously act to halt to illegal immigration would almost certainly fail to do so and ruin his career in the process.

I doubt the people have the stomach for what it would take to stop illegal immigration in any case.

In fact, I'm sure the majority do not.

[Age of Reason]

I will use Japan as my example of culture that when you are over populated your birth rates fall.

That's not a result of overpopulation; a falling birth rate of that kind results from industrial prosperity.

[FITZ]

Japanese people want their culture to flourish but it can't when over populated so the people choose to have less kids to bring back a better life style.

Mexico should look at how the Japanese were able to get a middle class lifestyle and with a much smaller land mass with much fewer natural resources. Japan didn't do it by trying to become completely dependent on the US either, I think they had to change their culture and were willing to do that.

[FITZ]

Guess where they're headed?

Here of course. Their government is encouraging them to believe that they should be completely dependent on the US, I never thought the maquilas were a good idea in the first place and I never thought those $25-30 a week jobs were going to do much for that country. They can't head back to their little farms because they've lost them. Also the government diverted irrigation waters to the fast growing cities like Juarez and maquilas so there could be more people there than the desert can support.

Instead of Mexicanizing the US, we should be Americanizing Mexico, let Americans go there and build up resorts and restaurants ----I'd rather be a waiter making tips off American tourists than a maquila worker anyday. It's amazing to compare the California and Florida coasts with the Mexican coasts ---amazing how it just all stops at the border and they have even better weather.

[Age of Reason]

Their government allows more immigration and goes on to ruin the culture so they can better manage the people. That is what is happening here.

There is much about what might be the hidden justifications for immigration of all kinds, that can be found in old texts and in the kind of advice that is passed down through generations of businessmen and statesmen by word of mouth.

Here's one: In the 1700's, at the dawn of the industrial revolution, one of the wealthier class observed that while it is merciful that the people not starve, still it would be unwise for them to become to prosperous, for then they will not work hard.

And so we are flooded with immigrants, legal and illegal, lest salaries skyrocket because the people are too prosperous to want jobs or to work overtime.

Another was said by Voltaire, who painted a picture of Christians of all sects doing buisness with Moslems and Jews--all working harmoniously together because no one group formed a huge majority--in other words, he was touting the practical advantages to industry and government of "diversity".

[FITZ]

I think prosperity causes birth reduction somehow. It's ironic because fertility clinics in the US are very popular with the Mexican upper class which seems to have fertility problems unlike their poor class which seems to have the opposite problem.