AZMEX EXTRA 2 JUN 2016
FBI: Phoenix bust yields guns, 18 pounds of meth, thousands of bullets
SHARE STORY BY KTAR.COM |
June 2, 2016 @ 12:39 pm
http://ktar.com/story/1099368/fbi-phoenix-bust-yields-guns-18-pounds-of-meth-thousands-of-bullets/
(Federal Bureau of Investigation Photo)
PHOENIX — A bust in the Phoenix area resulted in the seizure of guns, 18 pounds of methamphetamine and thousands of rounds of ammunition, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said.
In a release, the FBI said it seized three guns, 11,000 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition and 4,000 rounds of 9 mm ammunition.
The FBI also said it arrested seven people.
The agency did not disclose the location of the bust or the names of the suspects.
The bust was part of the Safe Streets initiative, a multi-agency effort aimed at curbing street gang and drug-related violence.
The FBI said the Phoenix Police Department and Arizona Department of Public Safety assisted in the bust.
Other agencies — United States Border Patrol, Arizona Department of Corrections and Chandler Police Department — also assist the FBI in making busts.
END
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Friday, June 17, 2016
AZMEX I3 SPECIAL 16-6-16
AZMEX I3 SPECIAL 16 JUN 2016
Note: Cajeme, Sonora
They help 26 African migrants
After a breakdown of the bus they were traveling;
DOCUMENTATION PRESENTED
15 / Jun / 2016
CAMPOS-RUBIO Alfonso
http://www.nuevodia.com.mx/Nota.aspx?p=14228
CAJEME.-
As a result of the breakdown of the bus where they were traveling to Tijuana, 26 Africans and thirteen from the State of Chiapas, they were aided by elements of the Preventive Police and Municipal Transit and taken to a shelter where they were given food and water, in addition to carrying two children to hospital for Children and Women for care for dehydration, said Antonio Gutierrez Lugo.
The general commissioner of the local authority added that this situation occurred in the four-lane highway to the south entrance of Ciudad Obregon, where the natives of the Congo and Ivory Coast, and the State of Chiapas, were transferred to hostel.
Also, this humanitarian action elements of the Mexican Red Cross and Municipal Civil Protection joined and be given a view of the delegation of the National Migration Institute, whose officers after reviewing their documents, allowed continue their journey to the border town, where they had planned to enter the United States.
Later, after food, bread, water and popsicles to mitigate the high temperatures recorded in the region, they were taken to the bus station for other public transportation and thus reach their original destination, Lugo Gutiérrez added.
end
AUXILIAN A 26 MIGRANTES AFRICANOS
TRAS DESCOMPOSTURA EN EL CAMIÓN EN EL QUE VIAJABAN; PRESENTAN DOCUMENTACIÓN EN REGLA
15/Jun/2016
Alfonso CAMPOS-RUBIO
http://www.nuevodia.com.mx/Nota.aspx?p=14228
CAJEME.-
Como resultado de la descompostura del autobús donde viajaban rumbo a Tijuana, 26 africanos y trece chiapanecos, fueron auxiliados por elementos de la Policía Preventiva y Tránsito Municipal, trasladándoseles a un albergue donde se les suministró agua y alimentos, además de llevar a dos menores al Hospital del Niño y la Mujer para su atención por presentar deshidratación, informó Antonio Gutiérrez Lugo.
El comisario general de la corporación local agregó que dicha situación se presentó en la carretera de Cuatro Carriles, a la entrada Sur de Ciudad Obregón, de donde los oriundos de El Congo y Costa de Marfil, así como del Estado de Chiapas, fueron trasladados al albergue.
Asimismo, a dicha acción humanitaria se sumaron los elementos de la Cruz Roja Mexicana y Protección Civil Municipal, dándosele vista a la delegación del Instituto Nacional de Migración, cuyos oficiales tras revisar los documentos que portaban permitieron siguieran su viaje a la fronteriza población, por donde tenían planeado ingresar a la Unión Americana.
Posteriormente y tras proporcionárseles comida, pan, agua y paletas de hielo para mitigar las altas temperaturas que se registran en la región, fueron llevados a la Central de Autobuses para que abordaran otro transporte colectivo de pasaje y de esa forma llegar a su destino original, añadió Gutiérrez Lugo.
END
Note: Cajeme, Sonora
They help 26 African migrants
After a breakdown of the bus they were traveling;
DOCUMENTATION PRESENTED
15 / Jun / 2016
CAMPOS-RUBIO Alfonso
http://www.nuevodia.com.mx/Nota.aspx?p=14228
CAJEME.-
As a result of the breakdown of the bus where they were traveling to Tijuana, 26 Africans and thirteen from the State of Chiapas, they were aided by elements of the Preventive Police and Municipal Transit and taken to a shelter where they were given food and water, in addition to carrying two children to hospital for Children and Women for care for dehydration, said Antonio Gutierrez Lugo.
The general commissioner of the local authority added that this situation occurred in the four-lane highway to the south entrance of Ciudad Obregon, where the natives of the Congo and Ivory Coast, and the State of Chiapas, were transferred to hostel.
Also, this humanitarian action elements of the Mexican Red Cross and Municipal Civil Protection joined and be given a view of the delegation of the National Migration Institute, whose officers after reviewing their documents, allowed continue their journey to the border town, where they had planned to enter the United States.
Later, after food, bread, water and popsicles to mitigate the high temperatures recorded in the region, they were taken to the bus station for other public transportation and thus reach their original destination, Lugo Gutiérrez added.
end
AUXILIAN A 26 MIGRANTES AFRICANOS
TRAS DESCOMPOSTURA EN EL CAMIÓN EN EL QUE VIAJABAN; PRESENTAN DOCUMENTACIÓN EN REGLA
15/Jun/2016
Alfonso CAMPOS-RUBIO
http://www.nuevodia.com.mx/Nota.aspx?p=14228
CAJEME.-
Como resultado de la descompostura del autobús donde viajaban rumbo a Tijuana, 26 africanos y trece chiapanecos, fueron auxiliados por elementos de la Policía Preventiva y Tránsito Municipal, trasladándoseles a un albergue donde se les suministró agua y alimentos, además de llevar a dos menores al Hospital del Niño y la Mujer para su atención por presentar deshidratación, informó Antonio Gutiérrez Lugo.
El comisario general de la corporación local agregó que dicha situación se presentó en la carretera de Cuatro Carriles, a la entrada Sur de Ciudad Obregón, de donde los oriundos de El Congo y Costa de Marfil, así como del Estado de Chiapas, fueron trasladados al albergue.
Asimismo, a dicha acción humanitaria se sumaron los elementos de la Cruz Roja Mexicana y Protección Civil Municipal, dándosele vista a la delegación del Instituto Nacional de Migración, cuyos oficiales tras revisar los documentos que portaban permitieron siguieran su viaje a la fronteriza población, por donde tenían planeado ingresar a la Unión Americana.
Posteriormente y tras proporcionárseles comida, pan, agua y paletas de hielo para mitigar las altas temperaturas que se registran en la región, fueron llevados a la Central de Autobuses para que abordaran otro transporte colectivo de pasaje y de esa forma llegar a su destino original, añadió Gutiérrez Lugo.
END
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
AZMEX UPDATE 14-6-16
AZMEX UPDATE 14 JUN 2016
Note: Local interest mostly
Comment: A. Don't believe it.
B. "there is money in Mexico for investment in Arizona" But they won't invest in Mexico? Why?
C. Legal immigrants, of which there are many, are not "terrorized" and are welcome.
D. Mexicans coming to visit and shop are not "terrorized" and are welcome.
E. Would he be satisfied if we adopt Mexico's immigration laws?
fin
SB 1070 damages Arizona, Mexico economic relations
SHARE STORY BY TAYLOR KINNERUP |
June 14, 2016 @ 9:48 am
http://ktar.com/story/1116751/sb-1070-damages-arizona-mexico-economic-relations/
The Mexican Consul General has declared that despite efforts by Arizona officials to improve the relationship between Arizona and Mexico, Senate Bill 1070 did irreparable economic damage.
In an interview with the Phoenix Business Journal, Mexican Consul General Roberto Rodriguez Hernandez said that Arizona is still losing money because of the aftermath of SB 1070.
The bill allows police to determine the immigration status of someone arrested or detained when there is "reasonable suspicion" they are not in the U.S. legally.
Rodriguez described the bill as "social terrorism."
"It terrorized people with the threat of what it could do as opposed to actually having any real effect," he said. "In the eyes of the world, Arizona appeared to be a place of racism and discrimination," he said of what he observed on his own and heard about from his peers.
Since 2012, Rodriguez has worked with Arizona officials such as Gov. Doug Ducey to work on improving the economic relationship between Arizona and Mexico, the largest consumer of Arizona-made goods.
"Entrepreneurship increases opportunities, Gov. Ducey and Mayor Stanton understand this," he said. "We are seeing better opportunities, but there is more to be done to really show that Arizona wants to open opportunities to more people."
Despite the efforts that have been extended, there is still a large gap that needs to be filled.
"Arizona's image is getting better, but there is money in Mexico for investment in Arizona, and the relationship needs to be improved to access those funds."
Rodriguez also commented on the difficulty undocumented immigrants face when it comes to obtaining licenses and getting jobs.
"When people have jobs, there is less demand for social services," he said. "There are also more retail purchases of new and used cars and more."
In an effort to build and restore relations with the neighboring nation, Gov. Ducey is positioning the Arizona Mexico Commission to create the opportunity for more business, job and market growth.
END
Note: Local interest mostly
Comment: A. Don't believe it.
B. "there is money in Mexico for investment in Arizona" But they won't invest in Mexico? Why?
C. Legal immigrants, of which there are many, are not "terrorized" and are welcome.
D. Mexicans coming to visit and shop are not "terrorized" and are welcome.
E. Would he be satisfied if we adopt Mexico's immigration laws?
fin
SB 1070 damages Arizona, Mexico economic relations
SHARE STORY BY TAYLOR KINNERUP |
June 14, 2016 @ 9:48 am
http://ktar.com/story/1116751/sb-1070-damages-arizona-mexico-economic-relations/
The Mexican Consul General has declared that despite efforts by Arizona officials to improve the relationship between Arizona and Mexico, Senate Bill 1070 did irreparable economic damage.
In an interview with the Phoenix Business Journal, Mexican Consul General Roberto Rodriguez Hernandez said that Arizona is still losing money because of the aftermath of SB 1070.
The bill allows police to determine the immigration status of someone arrested or detained when there is "reasonable suspicion" they are not in the U.S. legally.
Rodriguez described the bill as "social terrorism."
"It terrorized people with the threat of what it could do as opposed to actually having any real effect," he said. "In the eyes of the world, Arizona appeared to be a place of racism and discrimination," he said of what he observed on his own and heard about from his peers.
Since 2012, Rodriguez has worked with Arizona officials such as Gov. Doug Ducey to work on improving the economic relationship between Arizona and Mexico, the largest consumer of Arizona-made goods.
"Entrepreneurship increases opportunities, Gov. Ducey and Mayor Stanton understand this," he said. "We are seeing better opportunities, but there is more to be done to really show that Arizona wants to open opportunities to more people."
Despite the efforts that have been extended, there is still a large gap that needs to be filled.
"Arizona's image is getting better, but there is money in Mexico for investment in Arizona, and the relationship needs to be improved to access those funds."
Rodriguez also commented on the difficulty undocumented immigrants face when it comes to obtaining licenses and getting jobs.
"When people have jobs, there is less demand for social services," he said. "There are also more retail purchases of new and used cars and more."
In an effort to build and restore relations with the neighboring nation, Gov. Ducey is positioning the Arizona Mexico Commission to create the opportunity for more business, job and market growth.
END
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
AZMEX UPDATE 3-6-16
AZMEX UPDATE 3 JUN 2016
Memorial Day operation leads to arrest of 2 scouts, 1 charged with assault
Wednesday, June 1st 2016, 5:55 pm MST
By Elizabeth Walton, Digital Content ProducerCONNECT
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/32118511/memorial-day-operation-leads-to-arrest-of-2-scouts-1-charged-with-assault
Gear seized during a Memorial Day operation. (Source: Customs and Border Protection, Arizona)
PHOTOS: KOLD News 13 June Mugshots
CASA GRANDE, AZ (Tucson News Now) -
During a recent operation on Memorial Day, Border Patrol agents arrested two scouts, after one assaulted a BP agent.
It began at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 29, when BP agents with the Mountain team at the Casa Grande Station encountered two scouts during an operation geared toward an observation post in the Sawtooth Mountain Range, just outside Casa Grande. These scouts, according to CBP officials are often hired by criminal organizations to work from outposts, high up to guide human and narcotic smugglers.
According to a recent release, two BP agents had previously been assaulted by scouts in the last two months.
The third attack occurred on May 29, after BP agents encountered the two scouts. One scout assaulted an agent while trying to get away and down the mountain. According to the release a brief struggle ensued and the agent used pepper spray to subdue the man. He was identified as a Mexican national, and has been charged with assault on a federal officer, as well as attempt and conspiracy. This charge is often used to prosecute these scouts, according to the release.
A second scout was arrested and faces the same charges, but CBP officials say this second scout has an active felony warrant for homicide in Mexico.
In addition to the two arrests, BP agents seized four solar panels, two pairs of binoculars, eight cell phones, two radios and two radio chargers at the observation post.
In fiscal year 2015, Tucson Sector agents were assaulted 87 times, this amounts to 20 percent of all assaults on BP agents in the U.S.
end
Seven undocumented immigrants, including 3 children removed from car trunks by Border Patrol
Mac Colson
7:36 PM, Jun 2, 2016
3 hours ago
http://www.kgun9.com/news/local-news/seven-undocumented-immigrants-including-3-children-removed-from-car-trunks-by-border-patrol
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Border Patrol agents removed a total of 7 undocumented immigrants, including 3 children, from hot car trunks on Wednesday night at the I-19 checkpoint.
In two separate incidents agents thwarted smuggling attempts.
At 5:45 p.m., agents stopped a white four-door sedan for a secondary inspection. Agents discovered three people in the trunk during the vehicle search.
The subjects all identified as Mexican nationals, including a 16-year-old juvenile, and were taken into custody.
The driver, a United States citizen, was arrested and is pending criminal charges.
Agents stopped a white Pontiac sedan for a secondary inspection less than an hour later.
A search of the car revealed four undocumented aliens from Guatemala, including two under the age of 14, hiding in the trunk.
The subjects were taken into custody and the driver of the vehicle was arrested.
Both vehicles did not have emergency releases inside their trunks and lacked ventilation according to a Customs and Border Protection release.
The inside temperature of closed trunks can get in excess of 125 degrees with temperatures reaching triple digits during Arizona's summer months.
"This is another example of the callous disregard for life indicative of criminal organizations," Chief Patrol Agent Paul Beeson said. "If not for the actions of these Border Patrol agents, seven people including three children could have easily lost their lives at the hands of unscrupulous smugglers."
end
Memorial Day operation leads to arrest of 2 scouts, 1 charged with assault
Wednesday, June 1st 2016, 5:55 pm MST
By Elizabeth Walton, Digital Content ProducerCONNECT
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/32118511/memorial-day-operation-leads-to-arrest-of-2-scouts-1-charged-with-assault
Gear seized during a Memorial Day operation. (Source: Customs and Border Protection, Arizona)
PHOTOS: KOLD News 13 June Mugshots
CASA GRANDE, AZ (Tucson News Now) -
During a recent operation on Memorial Day, Border Patrol agents arrested two scouts, after one assaulted a BP agent.
It began at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 29, when BP agents with the Mountain team at the Casa Grande Station encountered two scouts during an operation geared toward an observation post in the Sawtooth Mountain Range, just outside Casa Grande. These scouts, according to CBP officials are often hired by criminal organizations to work from outposts, high up to guide human and narcotic smugglers.
According to a recent release, two BP agents had previously been assaulted by scouts in the last two months.
The third attack occurred on May 29, after BP agents encountered the two scouts. One scout assaulted an agent while trying to get away and down the mountain. According to the release a brief struggle ensued and the agent used pepper spray to subdue the man. He was identified as a Mexican national, and has been charged with assault on a federal officer, as well as attempt and conspiracy. This charge is often used to prosecute these scouts, according to the release.
A second scout was arrested and faces the same charges, but CBP officials say this second scout has an active felony warrant for homicide in Mexico.
In addition to the two arrests, BP agents seized four solar panels, two pairs of binoculars, eight cell phones, two radios and two radio chargers at the observation post.
In fiscal year 2015, Tucson Sector agents were assaulted 87 times, this amounts to 20 percent of all assaults on BP agents in the U.S.
end
Seven undocumented immigrants, including 3 children removed from car trunks by Border Patrol
Mac Colson
7:36 PM, Jun 2, 2016
3 hours ago
http://www.kgun9.com/news/local-news/seven-undocumented-immigrants-including-3-children-removed-from-car-trunks-by-border-patrol
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Border Patrol agents removed a total of 7 undocumented immigrants, including 3 children, from hot car trunks on Wednesday night at the I-19 checkpoint.
In two separate incidents agents thwarted smuggling attempts.
At 5:45 p.m., agents stopped a white four-door sedan for a secondary inspection. Agents discovered three people in the trunk during the vehicle search.
The subjects all identified as Mexican nationals, including a 16-year-old juvenile, and were taken into custody.
The driver, a United States citizen, was arrested and is pending criminal charges.
Agents stopped a white Pontiac sedan for a secondary inspection less than an hour later.
A search of the car revealed four undocumented aliens from Guatemala, including two under the age of 14, hiding in the trunk.
The subjects were taken into custody and the driver of the vehicle was arrested.
Both vehicles did not have emergency releases inside their trunks and lacked ventilation according to a Customs and Border Protection release.
The inside temperature of closed trunks can get in excess of 125 degrees with temperatures reaching triple digits during Arizona's summer months.
"This is another example of the callous disregard for life indicative of criminal organizations," Chief Patrol Agent Paul Beeson said. "If not for the actions of these Border Patrol agents, seven people including three children could have easily lost their lives at the hands of unscrupulous smugglers."
end
Monday, June 13, 2016
AZMEX UPDATE 11-6-16
AZMEX UPDATE 11 JUN 2016
Note: Local interest mostly.
GOVERNOR PAVLOVICH DELIVERY OF 98 PATROL VEHICLES TO THE PESP
10 / Jun / 2016
http://www.nuevodia.com.mx/Nota.aspx?p=14051
Hermosillo, Sonora, .-
Governor Claudia Pavlovich gave 98 patrols to the State Police Public Safety, bringing the number of units of that corporation doubled from when she took office.
Care for the units and give them the proper use Governor Claudia Pavlovich Claudia asked managers and police officers.
"They are very aware of the places where the problems are; not want to see the patrols rolling along the boulevards of cities, I want to see them where people need them, do not want simulations, "she said before military authorities of the three levels of government and Juan Carlos Solis Lopez, President of the Committee for Security.
The Secretary of Public Security, Adolfo Garcia Morales, said that 35 of these units were active ahead of the official release, used for days by agents of the PESP in Hermosillo.
She recalled that when she assumed the governorship Claudia Pavlovich, at Hector Espino Stadium, where the delivery is made, were parked 76 patrol vehicles of the 119 with which it had at that time, as they had no gasoline.
In the first three months of government of Claudia Pavlovich Arellano, said Garcia Morales, it was possible to operate 103 of the 119 units and eight months of assuming that position, the number of patrols PESP doubles.
Security is an issue not only patrol, pointed out Governor Claudia Pavlovich, "it is a tool for the job, but I also know that we must start well with an excellent well equipped corporation".
He noted that in addition to meeting the commitment to provide security to citizens who are looking for well-equipped police and who are proud to be part of the corporation that protects sonorenses families.
The units, whose keys the Director of the PESP, Alonso Ulises Mendez Manuell-Gómez, received are: 51 pick up for the Unit Periciales, 11 armored tactical vehicles for the Special Forces Unit, 32 patrols Unit Near Citizen and four sedans for the Research Unit.
END
Note: And Then We Have this one. BTW, never any apologies for US Citizens killed by drug & human traffickers and illegals.
SRE regrets death of Mexican migrant by firearm in Arizona
The government of Mexico asked the United States a transparent investigation of the facts and determine responsibilities
EFE 10/06/2016 22:02
http://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/2016/06/10/1098015
MEXICO CITY
The Government of Mexico "deeply regrets" the incident near Yuma, Arizona, United States in which a person diof Mexican nationality was shot, today informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE).
He also added, the government "expresses its sincere condolences to the relatives of the deceased".
The Foreign Ministry said in a bulletin that "the embassy in Washington and consulate in Yuma will do timely follow up the case and requested a transparent, impartial and prompt investigation to clarify the facts and determine responsibilities".
Mexico has repeatedly pointed to it that the use of lethal force in immigration control tasks and border security should be the last resort, besides being proportional to the circumstances of each situation, "he said.
According to the text, Mexico "reaffirms its commitment to continue promoting concerted action to reduce, prevent and investigate incidents of this nature actions," while "continue to provide consular assistance and protection to Mexicans in the United States, regardless of their immigration status. "
The statement refers SRE that the event occurred on Thursday June 9, although the the US Border Patrol report indicates that occurred Wednesday evening near the town of Somerton.
The Corporation reported today that an illegal immigrant who crossed the border illegally in Arizona died as a result of a shot fired by a Border Patrol agent during a struggle in which the immigrant attacked the officer.
According to the report, the incident occurred when the officer tried to arrest the individual who attacked him causing serious injuries, before which the agent discharged his weapon to "fear for his life."
During detention, the subject was able to grab the radio and the steel baton with which he began hitting him in the head as he tried to pull the gun from the holster, "the Border Patrol said in a statement.
Both were transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center in Arizona, where they could not resuscitate the immigrant.
The agent, multiple contusions and lacerations to the head, face and torso, has been placed on administrative leave while the corporation conducts an investigation of the case.
end
ENTREGA GOBERNADORA PAVLOVICH 98 PATRULLAS
A LA POLICÍA ESTATAL DE SEGURIDAD PÚBLICA
10/Jun/2016
http://www.nuevodia.com.mx/Nota.aspx?p=14051
Hermosillo, Sonora,.-
La Gobernadora Claudia Pavlovich entregó 98 patrullas a la Policía Estatal de Seguridad Pública, con lo cual se duplica el número de unidades de esa corporación respecto a las disponibles cuando ella asumió el cargo.
Cuidar las unidades y darles el uso adecuado pidió la Gobernadora Claudia Pavlovich a directivos y agentes policiacos.
"Que estén muy pendientes de los lugares dónde están los problemas; no quiero ver las patrullas paseándose por los bulevares de las ciudades, quiero verlos donde la gente los necesita, no quiero simulaciones", subrayó ante autoridades militares, de los tres niveles de gobierno y Juan Carlos Solís López, Presidente del Comité Ciudadano de Seguridad.
El Secretario de Seguridad Pública, Adolfo García Morales, indicó que 35 de estas unidades se adelantaron a la entrega oficial, para utilizarse desde hace días por agentes de la PESP en Hermosillo.
Recordó que cuando asumió la gubernatura Claudia Pavlovich, en el estadio Héctor Espino, donde se realiza esta entrega, estaban estacionadas 76 patrullas de las 119 con que las que contaba en aquel momento la PESP, ya que no tenían gasolina para ser utilizadas en labores de la corporación.
En los primeros tres meses del gobierno de Claudia Pavlovich Arellano, subrayó García Morales, se logró operar 103 de las 119 unidades y, a ocho meses de asumir ese cargo, se duplica el número de patrullas de la PESP.
La seguridad es un tema no sólo de patrullas, puntualizó la Gobernadora Claudia Pavlovich, "es una herramienta para el trabajo, pero también sé que debemos empezar bien con una excelente corporación bien equipada".
Señaló que además de cumplir con el compromiso de brindar seguridad a los ciudadanos busca que estén bien equipados los policías y se sientan orgullosos de formar parte de la corporación que protege a las familias sonorenses.
La unidades, cuyas llaves recibió el Director de la PESP, Alonso Ulises Méndez Manuell-Gómez, son: 51 pick up para la Unidad de Operativos Periciales, 11 vehículos tácticos blindados para la Unidad de Fuerzas Especiales, 32 patrullas para la Unidad de Proximidad Ciudadana y cuatro vehículos sedán para la Unidad de Investigación.
END
Note: and then we have this one. BTW, never any apologies for US citizens killed by drug & human traffickers and illegals.
Lamenta SRE muerte de migrante mexicano por arma de fuego en Arizona
El gobierno de México solicita a Estados Unidos una investigación transparente de los hechos y deslindar responsabilidades
10/06/2016 22:02 EFE
http://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/2016/06/10/1098015
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO
El Gobierno de México "lamenta profundamente" el incidente ocurrido cerca de Yuma, Arizona, Estados Unidos en el que falleció una persona de nacionalidad mexicana por disparo de arma de fuego, informó hoy la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE).
Asimismo, añadió, el Gobierno "expresa sus sinceras condolencias a los familiares del fallecido".
La SRE indicó en un boletín que "la embajada en Washington y el consulado en Yuma han dado puntual seguimiento al caso y han solicitado una investigación transparente, imparcial y expedita para esclarecer los hechos y deslindar responsabilidades".
México ha señalado de manera reiterada que el uso de la fuerza letal en tareas de control migratorio y seguridad fronteriza debe ser el último recurso, además de ser proporcional a las circunstancias de cada situación", apuntó.
De acuerdo con el texto, México "reafirma su compromiso de continuar impulsando acciones concertadas para reducir, prevenir e investigar los incidentes de esta naturaleza", a la vez que "continuará ofreciendo asistencia y protección consular a los mexicanos en Estados Unidos, sin importar su condición migratoria".
El comunicado de la SRE refiere que el suceso se produjo el jueves 9 de junio, si bien el reporte de la Patrulla Fronteriza estadounidense indica que ocurrió el miércoles por la noche cerca de la localidad de Somerton.
La corporación informó hoy que un indocumentado que cruzó la frontera de manera ilegal en Arizona murió como consecuencia de un disparo efectuado por un agente de la Patrulla Fronteriza durante un forcejeo en el que el inmigrante atacó al oficial.
Según el reporte, los hechos ocurrieron cuando el oficial trató de arrestar al individuo y este lo atacó causándole graves heridas, ante lo que el agente descargó su arma al "temer por su vida".
Durante la detención, el sujeto pudo agarrar el radio del agente y el bastón desplegable de acero con el que comenzó a golpearlo en la cabeza, mientras trataba de sacar el arma de la funda", informó la Patrulla Fronteriza en un comunicado.
Ambos fueron transportados al Centro Médico Regional de Yuma, en Arizona, donde no pudieron reanimar al inmigrante.
El agente, que sufrió múltiples contusiones y laceraciones en la cabeza, la cara y el torso, ha sido puesto en licencia administrativa mientras que la corporación realiza una investigación del caso.
end
Note: Local interest mostly.
GOVERNOR PAVLOVICH DELIVERY OF 98 PATROL VEHICLES TO THE PESP
10 / Jun / 2016
http://www.nuevodia.com.mx/Nota.aspx?p=14051
Hermosillo, Sonora, .-
Governor Claudia Pavlovich gave 98 patrols to the State Police Public Safety, bringing the number of units of that corporation doubled from when she took office.
Care for the units and give them the proper use Governor Claudia Pavlovich Claudia asked managers and police officers.
"They are very aware of the places where the problems are; not want to see the patrols rolling along the boulevards of cities, I want to see them where people need them, do not want simulations, "she said before military authorities of the three levels of government and Juan Carlos Solis Lopez, President of the Committee for Security.
The Secretary of Public Security, Adolfo Garcia Morales, said that 35 of these units were active ahead of the official release, used for days by agents of the PESP in Hermosillo.
She recalled that when she assumed the governorship Claudia Pavlovich, at Hector Espino Stadium, where the delivery is made, were parked 76 patrol vehicles of the 119 with which it had at that time, as they had no gasoline.
In the first three months of government of Claudia Pavlovich Arellano, said Garcia Morales, it was possible to operate 103 of the 119 units and eight months of assuming that position, the number of patrols PESP doubles.
Security is an issue not only patrol, pointed out Governor Claudia Pavlovich, "it is a tool for the job, but I also know that we must start well with an excellent well equipped corporation".
He noted that in addition to meeting the commitment to provide security to citizens who are looking for well-equipped police and who are proud to be part of the corporation that protects sonorenses families.
The units, whose keys the Director of the PESP, Alonso Ulises Mendez Manuell-Gómez, received are: 51 pick up for the Unit Periciales, 11 armored tactical vehicles for the Special Forces Unit, 32 patrols Unit Near Citizen and four sedans for the Research Unit.
END
Note: And Then We Have this one. BTW, never any apologies for US Citizens killed by drug & human traffickers and illegals.
SRE regrets death of Mexican migrant by firearm in Arizona
The government of Mexico asked the United States a transparent investigation of the facts and determine responsibilities
EFE 10/06/2016 22:02
http://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/2016/06/10/1098015
MEXICO CITY
The Government of Mexico "deeply regrets" the incident near Yuma, Arizona, United States in which a person diof Mexican nationality was shot, today informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE).
He also added, the government "expresses its sincere condolences to the relatives of the deceased".
The Foreign Ministry said in a bulletin that "the embassy in Washington and consulate in Yuma will do timely follow up the case and requested a transparent, impartial and prompt investigation to clarify the facts and determine responsibilities".
Mexico has repeatedly pointed to it that the use of lethal force in immigration control tasks and border security should be the last resort, besides being proportional to the circumstances of each situation, "he said.
According to the text, Mexico "reaffirms its commitment to continue promoting concerted action to reduce, prevent and investigate incidents of this nature actions," while "continue to provide consular assistance and protection to Mexicans in the United States, regardless of their immigration status. "
The statement refers SRE that the event occurred on Thursday June 9, although the the US Border Patrol report indicates that occurred Wednesday evening near the town of Somerton.
The Corporation reported today that an illegal immigrant who crossed the border illegally in Arizona died as a result of a shot fired by a Border Patrol agent during a struggle in which the immigrant attacked the officer.
According to the report, the incident occurred when the officer tried to arrest the individual who attacked him causing serious injuries, before which the agent discharged his weapon to "fear for his life."
During detention, the subject was able to grab the radio and the steel baton with which he began hitting him in the head as he tried to pull the gun from the holster, "the Border Patrol said in a statement.
Both were transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center in Arizona, where they could not resuscitate the immigrant.
The agent, multiple contusions and lacerations to the head, face and torso, has been placed on administrative leave while the corporation conducts an investigation of the case.
end
ENTREGA GOBERNADORA PAVLOVICH 98 PATRULLAS
A LA POLICÍA ESTATAL DE SEGURIDAD PÚBLICA
10/Jun/2016
http://www.nuevodia.com.mx/Nota.aspx?p=14051
Hermosillo, Sonora,.-
La Gobernadora Claudia Pavlovich entregó 98 patrullas a la Policía Estatal de Seguridad Pública, con lo cual se duplica el número de unidades de esa corporación respecto a las disponibles cuando ella asumió el cargo.
Cuidar las unidades y darles el uso adecuado pidió la Gobernadora Claudia Pavlovich a directivos y agentes policiacos.
"Que estén muy pendientes de los lugares dónde están los problemas; no quiero ver las patrullas paseándose por los bulevares de las ciudades, quiero verlos donde la gente los necesita, no quiero simulaciones", subrayó ante autoridades militares, de los tres niveles de gobierno y Juan Carlos Solís López, Presidente del Comité Ciudadano de Seguridad.
El Secretario de Seguridad Pública, Adolfo García Morales, indicó que 35 de estas unidades se adelantaron a la entrega oficial, para utilizarse desde hace días por agentes de la PESP en Hermosillo.
Recordó que cuando asumió la gubernatura Claudia Pavlovich, en el estadio Héctor Espino, donde se realiza esta entrega, estaban estacionadas 76 patrullas de las 119 con que las que contaba en aquel momento la PESP, ya que no tenían gasolina para ser utilizadas en labores de la corporación.
En los primeros tres meses del gobierno de Claudia Pavlovich Arellano, subrayó García Morales, se logró operar 103 de las 119 unidades y, a ocho meses de asumir ese cargo, se duplica el número de patrullas de la PESP.
La seguridad es un tema no sólo de patrullas, puntualizó la Gobernadora Claudia Pavlovich, "es una herramienta para el trabajo, pero también sé que debemos empezar bien con una excelente corporación bien equipada".
Señaló que además de cumplir con el compromiso de brindar seguridad a los ciudadanos busca que estén bien equipados los policías y se sientan orgullosos de formar parte de la corporación que protege a las familias sonorenses.
La unidades, cuyas llaves recibió el Director de la PESP, Alonso Ulises Méndez Manuell-Gómez, son: 51 pick up para la Unidad de Operativos Periciales, 11 vehículos tácticos blindados para la Unidad de Fuerzas Especiales, 32 patrullas para la Unidad de Proximidad Ciudadana y cuatro vehículos sedán para la Unidad de Investigación.
END
Note: and then we have this one. BTW, never any apologies for US citizens killed by drug & human traffickers and illegals.
Lamenta SRE muerte de migrante mexicano por arma de fuego en Arizona
El gobierno de México solicita a Estados Unidos una investigación transparente de los hechos y deslindar responsabilidades
10/06/2016 22:02 EFE
http://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/2016/06/10/1098015
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO
El Gobierno de México "lamenta profundamente" el incidente ocurrido cerca de Yuma, Arizona, Estados Unidos en el que falleció una persona de nacionalidad mexicana por disparo de arma de fuego, informó hoy la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE).
Asimismo, añadió, el Gobierno "expresa sus sinceras condolencias a los familiares del fallecido".
La SRE indicó en un boletín que "la embajada en Washington y el consulado en Yuma han dado puntual seguimiento al caso y han solicitado una investigación transparente, imparcial y expedita para esclarecer los hechos y deslindar responsabilidades".
México ha señalado de manera reiterada que el uso de la fuerza letal en tareas de control migratorio y seguridad fronteriza debe ser el último recurso, además de ser proporcional a las circunstancias de cada situación", apuntó.
De acuerdo con el texto, México "reafirma su compromiso de continuar impulsando acciones concertadas para reducir, prevenir e investigar los incidentes de esta naturaleza", a la vez que "continuará ofreciendo asistencia y protección consular a los mexicanos en Estados Unidos, sin importar su condición migratoria".
El comunicado de la SRE refiere que el suceso se produjo el jueves 9 de junio, si bien el reporte de la Patrulla Fronteriza estadounidense indica que ocurrió el miércoles por la noche cerca de la localidad de Somerton.
La corporación informó hoy que un indocumentado que cruzó la frontera de manera ilegal en Arizona murió como consecuencia de un disparo efectuado por un agente de la Patrulla Fronteriza durante un forcejeo en el que el inmigrante atacó al oficial.
Según el reporte, los hechos ocurrieron cuando el oficial trató de arrestar al individuo y este lo atacó causándole graves heridas, ante lo que el agente descargó su arma al "temer por su vida".
Durante la detención, el sujeto pudo agarrar el radio del agente y el bastón desplegable de acero con el que comenzó a golpearlo en la cabeza, mientras trataba de sacar el arma de la funda", informó la Patrulla Fronteriza en un comunicado.
Ambos fueron transportados al Centro Médico Regional de Yuma, en Arizona, donde no pudieron reanimar al inmigrante.
El agente, que sufrió múltiples contusiones y laceraciones en la cabeza, la cara y el torso, ha sido puesto en licencia administrativa mientras que la corporación realiza una investigación del caso.
end
AZMEX I3 SPECIAL 10-6-16
AZMEX I3 SPECIAL 10 JUN 2016
Federal court won't revisit Arizona identity theft law ruling
ASSOCIATED PRESS |
June 10, 2016 @ 7:17 am
http://ktar.com/story/1111925/federal-court-wont-revisit-arizona-identity-theft-law-ruling/
PHOENIX — A federal appeals court has refused to reconsider its decision
reinstating Arizona identity theft laws that were used to charge hundreds of
immigrants accused of using fake or stolen IDs to get jobs.
A three-judge panel from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday
declined to review its May decision that threw out a preliminary injunction
stopping Arizona from enforcing the laws.
No judge on the full 9th Circuit wanted to grant a rehearing.
A lower court judge had said immigrant-rights advocates were likely to succeed
in claiming the laws were trumped by federal immigration law.
But the 9th Circuit said in its May decision that the laws have been used to go
after U.S. citizens, not just immigrants, so federal immigration law is not always a
factor.
END
EXCLUSIVE: Border Patrol Agent Brutally Attacked in Arizona — Alien Shot Dead
Arizona Border 3Breitbart Texas / Ildefonso Ortiz
by BRANDON DARBY10 Jun 20161,024
http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2016/06/10/sources-border-patrol-agent-attacked-illegal-alien-alien-shot-dead/
A Border Patrol agent was brutally attacked by an illegal alien in the Yuma Sector on the U.S.-Mexico border on the night of June 9 and the agent responded with deadly force and killed the illegal alien. Multiple sources operating under the umbrella of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) discussed the issue with Breitbart Texas on the condition of anonymity. The Border Patrol agency confirmed the incident to Breitbart Texas when called.
According to the sources, three men illegally entered the U.S. and crossed the Colorado River when they were detected. An lone Border Patrol agent responded and one of the three men attacked the agent. The alien grabbed for the agent's service weapon. In the process of the agent protecting his service weapon, the alien grabbed his radio and began beating the agent about the head. The alien also grabbed the agent's baton and used that to beat the agent as well.
The Border Patrol agent was left with head injuries and a severe laceration above his right eyebrow that required multiple stitches. The agent's hands were also swollen after the life-threatening attack from the alien. The agent responded with deadly force and the alien attacker is now dead.
The illegal alien did not have identification on his person and his identity and country of origin remains unknown, though our sources are confident the attacker was an illegal alien.
The other two illegal aliens are in the custody of U.S. Border Patrol.
END
Federal court won't revisit Arizona identity theft law ruling
ASSOCIATED PRESS |
June 10, 2016 @ 7:17 am
http://ktar.com/story/1111925/federal-court-wont-revisit-arizona-identity-theft-law-ruling/
PHOENIX — A federal appeals court has refused to reconsider its decision
reinstating Arizona identity theft laws that were used to charge hundreds of
immigrants accused of using fake or stolen IDs to get jobs.
A three-judge panel from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday
declined to review its May decision that threw out a preliminary injunction
stopping Arizona from enforcing the laws.
No judge on the full 9th Circuit wanted to grant a rehearing.
A lower court judge had said immigrant-rights advocates were likely to succeed
in claiming the laws were trumped by federal immigration law.
But the 9th Circuit said in its May decision that the laws have been used to go
after U.S. citizens, not just immigrants, so federal immigration law is not always a
factor.
END
EXCLUSIVE: Border Patrol Agent Brutally Attacked in Arizona — Alien Shot Dead
Arizona Border 3Breitbart Texas / Ildefonso Ortiz
by BRANDON DARBY10 Jun 20161,024
http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2016/06/10/sources-border-patrol-agent-attacked-illegal-alien-alien-shot-dead/
A Border Patrol agent was brutally attacked by an illegal alien in the Yuma Sector on the U.S.-Mexico border on the night of June 9 and the agent responded with deadly force and killed the illegal alien. Multiple sources operating under the umbrella of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) discussed the issue with Breitbart Texas on the condition of anonymity. The Border Patrol agency confirmed the incident to Breitbart Texas when called.
According to the sources, three men illegally entered the U.S. and crossed the Colorado River when they were detected. An lone Border Patrol agent responded and one of the three men attacked the agent. The alien grabbed for the agent's service weapon. In the process of the agent protecting his service weapon, the alien grabbed his radio and began beating the agent about the head. The alien also grabbed the agent's baton and used that to beat the agent as well.
The Border Patrol agent was left with head injuries and a severe laceration above his right eyebrow that required multiple stitches. The agent's hands were also swollen after the life-threatening attack from the alien. The agent responded with deadly force and the alien attacker is now dead.
The illegal alien did not have identification on his person and his identity and country of origin remains unknown, though our sources are confident the attacker was an illegal alien.
The other two illegal aliens are in the custody of U.S. Border Patrol.
END
Friday, June 10, 2016
AZMEX EXTRA 9-6-16
AZMEX EXTRA 9 JUN 2016
Note: "Lost" Thx to the good folks at Borderland Beat. http://www.borderlandbeat.com
Not to forget the couple thousand or possibly more weapons delivered directly to the drug cartels by the Obama regime. (F&F)
Also remember the many thousands of deserters from the Mexican armed forces, many bringing their weapons with them to their new cartel employers.
thx
Also of interest, a sample:
http://www.un-register.org/SmallArms/CountrySummary.aspx?type=0&CoI=US
Also: https://www.sipri.org
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Mexico's lost guns: 13,000 over 10 years; reported lost or stolen by police and other officials
Posted by DD republished from Mexico News Daily
http://www.borderlandbeat.com
Mexico News Daily | Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Apatzingan Self-defense force: armed with police weapons?
Police are having a hard time hanging on to their guns: at both state and federal levels police officers and officials in prosecutors' and attorney generals' offices have lost nearly 13,000 firearms since 2006.
The federal Attorney General's office reported the disappearance of 1,171 arms, the Federal Police 1,054, and 102 by the Center for Investigation and National Security (Cisen).
Members of the Federal Protection Service, responsible for the security of public officials, were best at hanging on to their weapons. They lost only 15.
The rest of the 12,878 missing guns, both handguns and rifles, were lost or stolen in all 32 states, but the majority disappeared in Mexico City, the State of México, Chihuahua, Guerrero and Jalisco. The last three represent regions of the country with strong a presence of established drug cartels and splinter groups.
The largest number of lost or stolen weapons was reported in Mexico City in 2009, when 800 arms went missing from local police stations. That was also the year in which the most guns vanished nationwide, a total of 2,081.
The data was obtained by the newspaper Milenio from the National Defense Secretariat through a freedom-of-information request.
Coincidentally, the Mexican government increased its imports of firearms by more than threefold in the first half of this decade. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) reports that Mexico's arms imports grew by 331% between 2011 and 2015 when compared with the period 2006 to 2010.
Sipri attributed the sharp increase in imports to the war against drug cartels.
InSight Crime suggests the missing weapons were likely destined for the domestic black market and bought up by organized criminal networks. They might also have found their way into the hands of the armed vigilante groups operating in many parts of the country.
The crime research organization concluded that "the demand for guns has shot up parallel with the militarization of Mexico's so-called 'drug war,'" adding that the increase in weapons imports "shows that the Mexican government is arming up, not dialing it down."
Source: Milenio (sp)
Note: "Lost" Thx to the good folks at Borderland Beat. http://www.borderlandbeat.com
Not to forget the couple thousand or possibly more weapons delivered directly to the drug cartels by the Obama regime. (F&F)
Also remember the many thousands of deserters from the Mexican armed forces, many bringing their weapons with them to their new cartel employers.
thx
Also of interest, a sample:
http://www.un-register.org/SmallArms/CountrySummary.aspx?type=0&CoI=US
Also: https://www.sipri.org
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Mexico's lost guns: 13,000 over 10 years; reported lost or stolen by police and other officials
Posted by DD republished from Mexico News Daily
http://www.borderlandbeat.com
Mexico News Daily | Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Apatzingan Self-defense force: armed with police weapons?
Police are having a hard time hanging on to their guns: at both state and federal levels police officers and officials in prosecutors' and attorney generals' offices have lost nearly 13,000 firearms since 2006.
The federal Attorney General's office reported the disappearance of 1,171 arms, the Federal Police 1,054, and 102 by the Center for Investigation and National Security (Cisen).
Members of the Federal Protection Service, responsible for the security of public officials, were best at hanging on to their weapons. They lost only 15.
The rest of the 12,878 missing guns, both handguns and rifles, were lost or stolen in all 32 states, but the majority disappeared in Mexico City, the State of México, Chihuahua, Guerrero and Jalisco. The last three represent regions of the country with strong a presence of established drug cartels and splinter groups.
The largest number of lost or stolen weapons was reported in Mexico City in 2009, when 800 arms went missing from local police stations. That was also the year in which the most guns vanished nationwide, a total of 2,081.
The data was obtained by the newspaper Milenio from the National Defense Secretariat through a freedom-of-information request.
Coincidentally, the Mexican government increased its imports of firearms by more than threefold in the first half of this decade. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) reports that Mexico's arms imports grew by 331% between 2011 and 2015 when compared with the period 2006 to 2010.
Sipri attributed the sharp increase in imports to the war against drug cartels.
InSight Crime suggests the missing weapons were likely destined for the domestic black market and bought up by organized criminal networks. They might also have found their way into the hands of the armed vigilante groups operating in many parts of the country.
The crime research organization concluded that "the demand for guns has shot up parallel with the militarization of Mexico's so-called 'drug war,'" adding that the increase in weapons imports "shows that the Mexican government is arming up, not dialing it down."
Source: Milenio (sp)
Thursday, June 9, 2016
AZMEX I3 SPECIAL 9-6-16
AZMEX I3 SPECIAL 9 JUN 2016
Note: from UK Guardian
British firm aims to open immigration detention center near US-Mexico border
Billion-dollar company Serco has lobbied the US for more than a year in a push for detention contracts, sparking criticism from immigrant rights groups
The Obama administration's use of family detention centres that hold children and mothers has become one of the most contested elements of America's border protection program.
Oliver Laughland and Renée Feltz
Thursday 9 June 2016 06.00 EDT Last modified on Thursday 9 June 2016 06.01 EDT
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jun/09/texas-mexico-detention-center-serco-obama-administration
The British security firm Serco has moved a step closer to entering the controversial but lucrative immigration detention market in the US, as the company successfully lobbied public officials in a small Texas county near the Mexico border to propose that the federal government open a family detention centre in the jurisdiction.
The billion-dollar company, implicated in numerous immigration detention centre scandals in the UK and Australia, has been lobbying the US government for more than a year in an effort to win detention contracts, sparking sustained criticism from immigrant rights groups.
The firm is now proposing that a shuttered nursing home in Jim Wells County, Texas, be reopened as a family detention centre, which could hold up to 600 detainees and would become the third privately managed centre in the United States.
The Obama administration's use of family detention centres that hold children and mothers has become one of the most contested elements of America's border protection program.
Serco representatives first approached officials in the county last month, as the company ramped up its lobbying efforts, following an open pitching invitation announced by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) in April. On Monday, following a closed-door session between Serco lobbyists and the county's five commissioners, the local government body voted to partner with Serco and pitch the proposal to Ice.
The company has employed a number of experienced lobbyists in America, including a former senior Ice staff member, Kate Mills, and has already listed a job opening for a communications and logistics staff member close to the proposed centre "in the event of a contract award".
Judge Pedro Trevino Jr, the presiding member of the Jim Wells commissioners court, told the Guardian that Serco indicated up to 200 local jobs could be created at the centre. The county, with just over 40,000 residents, has had a spike in unemployment following the decline of the oil and gas industry in the region with the poverty rate climbing to 20%, according to census data.
"People are most interested in the jobs it would create," said Trevino, of the county's reaction to the proposed deal, adding that county attorneys were continuing to research the proposal, wary of the controversy it could bring.
"We know family detention centres are highly controversial and we want to put all our ducks in a row and gather facts before we make our final decision."
Although Ice opened an "information" pitching round designed for "market research" purposes, it has not yet confirmed if it will move on to receive formal proposals from potential family detention contractors.
"There are several formalities that have to transpire with the [request for proposals] before we can begin to discuss," an Ice public affairs officer told the Guardian.
About 38,000 people were apprehended crossing the US-Mexico border in April alone, including more than 10,000 unaccompanied children and "family units", according to US Customs and Border Patrol. This is the highest number since a surge in arrivals in June 2014, and will add pressure to the already strained detention network.
Reports have also indicated that the Obama administration is planning raids that could lead to the detention and deportation of more Central American mothers and children who entered the country illegally.
Serco has operated the Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre in the UK since 2007 and endured a string of abuse allegations, including that members of staff sexually assaulted female detainees. In Australia, where Serco operates all of the country's mainland immigration detention facilities under a multibillion-dollar contract, the company has suffered sustained criticism after riots have broken out in centres on Christmas Island, dozens of detainees have self-harmed and others have made sexual assault allegations against staff.
"Their actual track record is very different to what they say to people here in the US," said Mohammad Abdollahi, director of advocacy for the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services not-for-profit group in Texas. "There is no 'right' way to detain families, but they have shown, around the world, everything that is wrong with how you do it."
"Serco has international experience of managing immigration facilities. We are committed to looking after all those in our care with trust and respect," said a US spokesman for the company in an emailed statement that confirmed Serco's presence in Jim Wells County.
The centre would be the corporation's first in the United States, completing a triangle of family detention centers in south Texas, where Geo Group operates the 679-bed Karnes County Residential Center, and Corrections Corporation of America runs the 2,400-bed Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley. The only family facility outside of the state is a 96-bed facility in Pennsylvania that is operated by Berks County under an agreement with Ice.
Most of the women and children held at the three facilities are seeking refugee status and asylum amid a humanitarian crisis in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, which operated a pilot "alternative to detention" program last year, says it found that housing the families in a less restrictive setting was a more cost-effective way to ensure they attended their immigration court hearings.
"We saw that people seeking asylum have a huge stake in finishing the process that could give them a chance to potentially rebuild their life and live here in safety," said Brittney Nystrom, LIRS director for advocacy. "We are creating additional trauma and pouring money down the drain."
END
Note: from UK Guardian
British firm aims to open immigration detention center near US-Mexico border
Billion-dollar company Serco has lobbied the US for more than a year in a push for detention contracts, sparking criticism from immigrant rights groups
The Obama administration's use of family detention centres that hold children and mothers has become one of the most contested elements of America's border protection program.
Oliver Laughland and Renée Feltz
Thursday 9 June 2016 06.00 EDT Last modified on Thursday 9 June 2016 06.01 EDT
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jun/09/texas-mexico-detention-center-serco-obama-administration
The British security firm Serco has moved a step closer to entering the controversial but lucrative immigration detention market in the US, as the company successfully lobbied public officials in a small Texas county near the Mexico border to propose that the federal government open a family detention centre in the jurisdiction.
The billion-dollar company, implicated in numerous immigration detention centre scandals in the UK and Australia, has been lobbying the US government for more than a year in an effort to win detention contracts, sparking sustained criticism from immigrant rights groups.
The firm is now proposing that a shuttered nursing home in Jim Wells County, Texas, be reopened as a family detention centre, which could hold up to 600 detainees and would become the third privately managed centre in the United States.
The Obama administration's use of family detention centres that hold children and mothers has become one of the most contested elements of America's border protection program.
Serco representatives first approached officials in the county last month, as the company ramped up its lobbying efforts, following an open pitching invitation announced by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) in April. On Monday, following a closed-door session between Serco lobbyists and the county's five commissioners, the local government body voted to partner with Serco and pitch the proposal to Ice.
The company has employed a number of experienced lobbyists in America, including a former senior Ice staff member, Kate Mills, and has already listed a job opening for a communications and logistics staff member close to the proposed centre "in the event of a contract award".
Judge Pedro Trevino Jr, the presiding member of the Jim Wells commissioners court, told the Guardian that Serco indicated up to 200 local jobs could be created at the centre. The county, with just over 40,000 residents, has had a spike in unemployment following the decline of the oil and gas industry in the region with the poverty rate climbing to 20%, according to census data.
"People are most interested in the jobs it would create," said Trevino, of the county's reaction to the proposed deal, adding that county attorneys were continuing to research the proposal, wary of the controversy it could bring.
"We know family detention centres are highly controversial and we want to put all our ducks in a row and gather facts before we make our final decision."
Although Ice opened an "information" pitching round designed for "market research" purposes, it has not yet confirmed if it will move on to receive formal proposals from potential family detention contractors.
"There are several formalities that have to transpire with the [request for proposals] before we can begin to discuss," an Ice public affairs officer told the Guardian.
About 38,000 people were apprehended crossing the US-Mexico border in April alone, including more than 10,000 unaccompanied children and "family units", according to US Customs and Border Patrol. This is the highest number since a surge in arrivals in June 2014, and will add pressure to the already strained detention network.
Reports have also indicated that the Obama administration is planning raids that could lead to the detention and deportation of more Central American mothers and children who entered the country illegally.
Serco has operated the Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre in the UK since 2007 and endured a string of abuse allegations, including that members of staff sexually assaulted female detainees. In Australia, where Serco operates all of the country's mainland immigration detention facilities under a multibillion-dollar contract, the company has suffered sustained criticism after riots have broken out in centres on Christmas Island, dozens of detainees have self-harmed and others have made sexual assault allegations against staff.
"Their actual track record is very different to what they say to people here in the US," said Mohammad Abdollahi, director of advocacy for the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services not-for-profit group in Texas. "There is no 'right' way to detain families, but they have shown, around the world, everything that is wrong with how you do it."
"Serco has international experience of managing immigration facilities. We are committed to looking after all those in our care with trust and respect," said a US spokesman for the company in an emailed statement that confirmed Serco's presence in Jim Wells County.
The centre would be the corporation's first in the United States, completing a triangle of family detention centers in south Texas, where Geo Group operates the 679-bed Karnes County Residential Center, and Corrections Corporation of America runs the 2,400-bed Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley. The only family facility outside of the state is a 96-bed facility in Pennsylvania that is operated by Berks County under an agreement with Ice.
Most of the women and children held at the three facilities are seeking refugee status and asylum amid a humanitarian crisis in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, which operated a pilot "alternative to detention" program last year, says it found that housing the families in a less restrictive setting was a more cost-effective way to ensure they attended their immigration court hearings.
"We saw that people seeking asylum have a huge stake in finishing the process that could give them a chance to potentially rebuild their life and live here in safety," said Brittney Nystrom, LIRS director for advocacy. "We are creating additional trauma and pouring money down the drain."
END
AZMEX UPDATE 9-6-16
AZMEX UPDATE 9 JUN 2016
Note: Apprehensions being "down" does not in any way mean the drug and human trafficking is down.
thx
Border ranchers with few options now have police radios
By ASTRID GALVAN Updated 14 min ago 0
http://azdailysun.com/news/state-and-regional/border-ranchers-with-few-options-now-have-police-radios/article_0da513a1-dac4-54e6-a912-2ee95172509f.html
Border ranchers with few options now have police radios
Astrid Galvan
Cattle rancher John Ladd holds his new radio issued by the Cochise County Sheriff's Department for use in cases of emergency near Naco, Ariz., about 10 miles of it sits on the international border on Thursday, June 9, 2016. Ladd says drug smugglers frequently cross through his land and have burglarized his home on several occasions. The radios were handed out to about 30 border ranchers so they could have faster communication with 911 dispatchers. (AP Photo/Astrid Galvan)
Border ranchers with few options now have police radios
Astrid Galvan
A sign from the Cochise County Sheriff's Department hangs in front of the San Jose Ranch, which shares 10 miles with the U.S.-Mexico border in southern Arizona near Naco, Ariz., on Thursday, June 9, 2016. Ranch owner John Ladd is one of about 30 border ranchers who received police radios from the Cochise County Sheriff's Department this week so that they could more easily communicate with 911 when they are in remote areas that have poor cell phone signal. The ranchers say that drug smugglers and other criminals frequently cross through their land, putting them in danger. (AP Photo/Astrid Galvan)
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Southern Arizona ranchers who often encounter drug smugglers and other dangers have a new way to get help in emergencies: sheriff-issued radios usually reserved for police that connect them directly to 911 dispatchers.
So far 31 ranchers along the Arizona-Mexico border have taken the new handheld radios issued by the Cochise County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff Mark Dannels obtained them through private funding in an effort to improve safety along the rural areas that often lack strong cell phone coverage. He said the 2010 murder of rancher Rob Krentz led to increased security and more communication between ranchers and authorities. Authorities believe Krentz was fatally shot by drug smugglers.
"I don't think there's a better form of community policing out there than having them have a form of communication with us in their time of need," Dannels said.
The sheriff's office also has a team dedicated to patrolling ranch areas and an advisory group composed of law enforcement and ranchers.
John Ladd, whose family ranch sits along 10 miles of the international border, says the radios will come in handy when he's out in remote parts of his ranch.
Ladd said that the illegal immigration landscape has changed a lot in the past decade. He used to see hundreds of migrants on his land daily, but that number is down to nearly zero now. Instead, it's the drug smugglers and their lookouts who travel through his ranch. His house has been burglarized countless times, he says.
"If you live in the rural area, that's your big concern every day. You still have to realize that I can't just walk into my house anymore. I gotta look around and see what's going," Ladd said.
Peggy Davis, a rancher about 25 miles north of the border, says activity has also significantly decreased but that it's not uncommon for smugglers and others to cross through her family's cattle ranch near Tombstone.
"Sometimes we don't have cell service on areas of the ranch. I was just thrilled that we have other options," Davis said.
Human and drug smuggling in the Tucson Sector, which comprises most of the Arizona, have fallen significantly. Fiscal year 2011 saw over 123,000 migrant apprehensions; by 2015, that number had fallen to a little over 63,000.
But as traffic has gone down in Arizona, it's picked up in parts of Texas, which have seen huge increases in the number of migrants illegally crossing the border. The Rio Grande Valley Sector has seen a spike from nearly 60,000 apprehensions in fiscal year 2011 to more than 147,000 in the last fiscal year.
Border sheriffs in those areas say ranchers along the Texas and Mexico border have to be on alert at all times.
In Hudspeth County, Sheriff Arvin West says he has one officer who serves as rancher liaison to help with issues that affect landowners.
"(Ranchers) have learned to just kind of stay back and if somebody comes across with backpacks, to just let them go and not follow them," West said. "They still break into homes and stuff if the ranchers aren't around but typically the ranchers don't leave."
end
Note: Apprehensions being "down" does not in any way mean the drug and human trafficking is down.
thx
Border ranchers with few options now have police radios
By ASTRID GALVAN Updated 14 min ago 0
http://azdailysun.com/news/state-and-regional/border-ranchers-with-few-options-now-have-police-radios/article_0da513a1-dac4-54e6-a912-2ee95172509f.html
Border ranchers with few options now have police radios
Astrid Galvan
Cattle rancher John Ladd holds his new radio issued by the Cochise County Sheriff's Department for use in cases of emergency near Naco, Ariz., about 10 miles of it sits on the international border on Thursday, June 9, 2016. Ladd says drug smugglers frequently cross through his land and have burglarized his home on several occasions. The radios were handed out to about 30 border ranchers so they could have faster communication with 911 dispatchers. (AP Photo/Astrid Galvan)
Border ranchers with few options now have police radios
Astrid Galvan
A sign from the Cochise County Sheriff's Department hangs in front of the San Jose Ranch, which shares 10 miles with the U.S.-Mexico border in southern Arizona near Naco, Ariz., on Thursday, June 9, 2016. Ranch owner John Ladd is one of about 30 border ranchers who received police radios from the Cochise County Sheriff's Department this week so that they could more easily communicate with 911 when they are in remote areas that have poor cell phone signal. The ranchers say that drug smugglers and other criminals frequently cross through their land, putting them in danger. (AP Photo/Astrid Galvan)
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Southern Arizona ranchers who often encounter drug smugglers and other dangers have a new way to get help in emergencies: sheriff-issued radios usually reserved for police that connect them directly to 911 dispatchers.
So far 31 ranchers along the Arizona-Mexico border have taken the new handheld radios issued by the Cochise County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff Mark Dannels obtained them through private funding in an effort to improve safety along the rural areas that often lack strong cell phone coverage. He said the 2010 murder of rancher Rob Krentz led to increased security and more communication between ranchers and authorities. Authorities believe Krentz was fatally shot by drug smugglers.
"I don't think there's a better form of community policing out there than having them have a form of communication with us in their time of need," Dannels said.
The sheriff's office also has a team dedicated to patrolling ranch areas and an advisory group composed of law enforcement and ranchers.
John Ladd, whose family ranch sits along 10 miles of the international border, says the radios will come in handy when he's out in remote parts of his ranch.
Ladd said that the illegal immigration landscape has changed a lot in the past decade. He used to see hundreds of migrants on his land daily, but that number is down to nearly zero now. Instead, it's the drug smugglers and their lookouts who travel through his ranch. His house has been burglarized countless times, he says.
"If you live in the rural area, that's your big concern every day. You still have to realize that I can't just walk into my house anymore. I gotta look around and see what's going," Ladd said.
Peggy Davis, a rancher about 25 miles north of the border, says activity has also significantly decreased but that it's not uncommon for smugglers and others to cross through her family's cattle ranch near Tombstone.
"Sometimes we don't have cell service on areas of the ranch. I was just thrilled that we have other options," Davis said.
Human and drug smuggling in the Tucson Sector, which comprises most of the Arizona, have fallen significantly. Fiscal year 2011 saw over 123,000 migrant apprehensions; by 2015, that number had fallen to a little over 63,000.
But as traffic has gone down in Arizona, it's picked up in parts of Texas, which have seen huge increases in the number of migrants illegally crossing the border. The Rio Grande Valley Sector has seen a spike from nearly 60,000 apprehensions in fiscal year 2011 to more than 147,000 in the last fiscal year.
Border sheriffs in those areas say ranchers along the Texas and Mexico border have to be on alert at all times.
In Hudspeth County, Sheriff Arvin West says he has one officer who serves as rancher liaison to help with issues that affect landowners.
"(Ranchers) have learned to just kind of stay back and if somebody comes across with backpacks, to just let them go and not follow them," West said. "They still break into homes and stuff if the ranchers aren't around but typically the ranchers don't leave."
end
Thursday, June 2, 2016
AZMEX I3 SPECIAL 2-6-16
AZMEX I3 SPECIAL 2 JUN 2016
Note: some may question how to tell a "Afghan" from a "Pak", when they may be from the same tribe.
Also talk along the border that some DTO's seem to be not interested in endangering routes by bringing in people from the "special-interest countries." Others, of course, don't care.
thx
Smuggling network guided illegals from Middle East terror hotbeds to U.S. border
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/2/smuggling-network-guided-illegal-immigrants-from-m/?page=all#pagebreak
A U.S. Border Patrol agent drives near the U.S.-Mexico border fence in Santa Teresa, N.M. (Associated Press)
By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times - Thursday, June 2, 2016
A smuggling network has managed to sneak illegal immigrants from Middle Eastern terrorism hotbeds straight to the doorstep of the U.S., including helping one Afghan who authorities say was part of an attack plot in North America.
Immigration officials have identified at least a dozen Middle Eastern men smuggled into the Western Hemisphere by a Brazilian-based network that connected them with Mexicans who guided them to the U.S. border, according to internal government documents reviewed by The Washington Times.
Those smuggled included Palestinians, Pakistanis and the Afghan man who Homeland Security officials said had family ties to the Taliban and was "involved in a plot to conduct an attack in the U.S. and/or Canada." He is in custody, but The Times is withholding his name at the request of law enforcement to protect investigations.
Some of the men handled by the smuggling network were nabbed before they reached the U.S., but others made it into the country. The Afghan man was part of a group of six from "special-interest countries."
The group, guided by two Mexicans employed by the smuggling network, crawled under the border fence in Arizona late last year and made it about 15 miles north before being detected by border surveillance, according to the documents, which were obtained by Rep. Duncan Hunter, California Republican.
Law enforcement asked The Times to withhold the name of the smuggling network.
It's unclear whether the network succeeded in sneaking other "special interest" illegal immigrants by border officials, but the documents obtained by Mr. Hunter confirm fears of a pipeline that can get would-be illegal immigrants from terrorist hotbeds to the threshold of the U.S.
Just as troubling, the Border Patrol didn't immediately spot the Afghan man's terrorist ties because the database that agents first checked didn't list him. It wasn't until agents checked an FBI database that they learned the Afghan may be a danger, the documents say.
"It's disturbing, in so many ways," said Joe Kasper, Mr. Hunter's chief of staff. "The interdiction of this group … validates once again that the southern border is wide open to more than people looking to enter the U.S. illegally strictly for purposes of looking for work, as the administration wants us to believe. What's worse, federal databases weren't even synced and Border Patrol had no idea who they were arresting and the group was not considered a problem because none of them were considered a priority under the president's enforcement protocol. That's a major problem on its own, and it calls for DHS to figure out the problem — and fast."
Mr. Hunter wrote a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson this week demanding answers about the breakdowns in the process.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the chief agency charged with sniffing out smuggling networks, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which oversees the Border Patrol and initially failed to find the terrorist connections, declined to comment. Homeland Security, which oversees both agencies, didn't provide an answer either.
The group of six men nabbed inside the U.S. — the Afghan and five men identified as Pakistanis — all made asylum claims when they were eventually caught by the Border Patrol. Mr. Hunter said his understanding is that the five men from Pakistan were released based on those claims and have disappeared.
The government documents reviewed by The Times didn't say how much the smugglers charged but did detail some of their operation.
Would-be illegal immigrants were first identified by a contact in the Middle East, who reported them to the smuggling network in Brazil. That network then arranged their travel up South America and through Central America, where some of them were nabbed by U.S. allies.
In the case of the Afghan man with terrorist ties, he was smuggled from Brazil through Peru, then Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico.
He was caught near a ranch 15 miles into the U.S. after his group's movements were detected by one of the Border Patrol's trucks. He told agents his group had crawled under the border fence near Nogales.
In the documents obtained by Mr. Hunter, Homeland Security officials said they considered the case a victory because it showed how they can use apprehensions on the southwest border to trace smuggling networks back to their sources.
But the documents had worrying signs as well. When agents first ran the man through the Terrorist Screening Database, he didn't show up as a danger. Indeed, KNXV-TV in Arizona reported in November that authorities said "records checks revealed no derogatory information about the individuals."
That turns out not to be true, according to the documents. The Afghan man was listed in the FBI's Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment database as having suspect relations.
Mr. Hunter told Mr. Johnson that the discrepancy between the databases was troubling.
The government documents also said some of the special-interest aliens caught at the border were previously identified by authorities in other Latin American countries — but had different sets of biometric identifiers associated with them. That raised questions about whether those countries are sharing accurate information with the U.S.
Networks capable of smuggling potential terrorists have long been a concern, but the Obama administration tamped down those worries, arguing that the southwest border wasn't a likely route for operatives.
Still, evidence has mounted over the past couple of years, including a smuggling ring that sneaked four Turkish men with ties to a U.S.-designated terrorist group into the U.S. in 2014. They paid $8,000 apiece to be smuggled from Istanbul through Paris to Mexico City, where they were stashed in safe houses before being smuggled to the border.
At the time, Mr. Johnson said the men were part of a group fighting the Islamic State and questioned whether they should have even been designated as part of a terrorist group.
But behind the scenes Mr. Johnson's agents were at work trying to roll up smuggling rings under an action dubbed Operation Citadel.
Lev Kubiak, assistant director at ICE Homeland Security Investigations' international operations branch, testified to Congress this year that Operation Citadel resulted in 210 criminal arrests in 2015. One part of the effort, known as Operation Lucero, dismantled 14 human smuggling routes, including some operations designed to move people from the Eastern Hemisphere to Latin America and then into the U.S., he said.
END
Note: some may question how to tell a "Afghan" from a "Pak", when they may be from the same tribe.
Also talk along the border that some DTO's seem to be not interested in endangering routes by bringing in people from the "special-interest countries." Others, of course, don't care.
thx
Smuggling network guided illegals from Middle East terror hotbeds to U.S. border
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/2/smuggling-network-guided-illegal-immigrants-from-m/?page=all#pagebreak
A U.S. Border Patrol agent drives near the U.S.-Mexico border fence in Santa Teresa, N.M. (Associated Press)
By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times - Thursday, June 2, 2016
A smuggling network has managed to sneak illegal immigrants from Middle Eastern terrorism hotbeds straight to the doorstep of the U.S., including helping one Afghan who authorities say was part of an attack plot in North America.
Immigration officials have identified at least a dozen Middle Eastern men smuggled into the Western Hemisphere by a Brazilian-based network that connected them with Mexicans who guided them to the U.S. border, according to internal government documents reviewed by The Washington Times.
Those smuggled included Palestinians, Pakistanis and the Afghan man who Homeland Security officials said had family ties to the Taliban and was "involved in a plot to conduct an attack in the U.S. and/or Canada." He is in custody, but The Times is withholding his name at the request of law enforcement to protect investigations.
Some of the men handled by the smuggling network were nabbed before they reached the U.S., but others made it into the country. The Afghan man was part of a group of six from "special-interest countries."
The group, guided by two Mexicans employed by the smuggling network, crawled under the border fence in Arizona late last year and made it about 15 miles north before being detected by border surveillance, according to the documents, which were obtained by Rep. Duncan Hunter, California Republican.
Law enforcement asked The Times to withhold the name of the smuggling network.
It's unclear whether the network succeeded in sneaking other "special interest" illegal immigrants by border officials, but the documents obtained by Mr. Hunter confirm fears of a pipeline that can get would-be illegal immigrants from terrorist hotbeds to the threshold of the U.S.
Just as troubling, the Border Patrol didn't immediately spot the Afghan man's terrorist ties because the database that agents first checked didn't list him. It wasn't until agents checked an FBI database that they learned the Afghan may be a danger, the documents say.
"It's disturbing, in so many ways," said Joe Kasper, Mr. Hunter's chief of staff. "The interdiction of this group … validates once again that the southern border is wide open to more than people looking to enter the U.S. illegally strictly for purposes of looking for work, as the administration wants us to believe. What's worse, federal databases weren't even synced and Border Patrol had no idea who they were arresting and the group was not considered a problem because none of them were considered a priority under the president's enforcement protocol. That's a major problem on its own, and it calls for DHS to figure out the problem — and fast."
Mr. Hunter wrote a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson this week demanding answers about the breakdowns in the process.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the chief agency charged with sniffing out smuggling networks, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which oversees the Border Patrol and initially failed to find the terrorist connections, declined to comment. Homeland Security, which oversees both agencies, didn't provide an answer either.
The group of six men nabbed inside the U.S. — the Afghan and five men identified as Pakistanis — all made asylum claims when they were eventually caught by the Border Patrol. Mr. Hunter said his understanding is that the five men from Pakistan were released based on those claims and have disappeared.
The government documents reviewed by The Times didn't say how much the smugglers charged but did detail some of their operation.
Would-be illegal immigrants were first identified by a contact in the Middle East, who reported them to the smuggling network in Brazil. That network then arranged their travel up South America and through Central America, where some of them were nabbed by U.S. allies.
In the case of the Afghan man with terrorist ties, he was smuggled from Brazil through Peru, then Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico.
He was caught near a ranch 15 miles into the U.S. after his group's movements were detected by one of the Border Patrol's trucks. He told agents his group had crawled under the border fence near Nogales.
In the documents obtained by Mr. Hunter, Homeland Security officials said they considered the case a victory because it showed how they can use apprehensions on the southwest border to trace smuggling networks back to their sources.
But the documents had worrying signs as well. When agents first ran the man through the Terrorist Screening Database, he didn't show up as a danger. Indeed, KNXV-TV in Arizona reported in November that authorities said "records checks revealed no derogatory information about the individuals."
That turns out not to be true, according to the documents. The Afghan man was listed in the FBI's Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment database as having suspect relations.
Mr. Hunter told Mr. Johnson that the discrepancy between the databases was troubling.
The government documents also said some of the special-interest aliens caught at the border were previously identified by authorities in other Latin American countries — but had different sets of biometric identifiers associated with them. That raised questions about whether those countries are sharing accurate information with the U.S.
Networks capable of smuggling potential terrorists have long been a concern, but the Obama administration tamped down those worries, arguing that the southwest border wasn't a likely route for operatives.
Still, evidence has mounted over the past couple of years, including a smuggling ring that sneaked four Turkish men with ties to a U.S.-designated terrorist group into the U.S. in 2014. They paid $8,000 apiece to be smuggled from Istanbul through Paris to Mexico City, where they were stashed in safe houses before being smuggled to the border.
At the time, Mr. Johnson said the men were part of a group fighting the Islamic State and questioned whether they should have even been designated as part of a terrorist group.
But behind the scenes Mr. Johnson's agents were at work trying to roll up smuggling rings under an action dubbed Operation Citadel.
Lev Kubiak, assistant director at ICE Homeland Security Investigations' international operations branch, testified to Congress this year that Operation Citadel resulted in 210 criminal arrests in 2015. One part of the effort, known as Operation Lucero, dismantled 14 human smuggling routes, including some operations designed to move people from the Eastern Hemisphere to Latin America and then into the U.S., he said.
END
Monday, May 30, 2016
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 30-5-16
AZMEX F&F EXTRA 30 MAY 2016
Note: Mexican Lives Don't Matter ? ( Hispanic / Latino ? )
It is estimated that the death toll of Mexican citizens from the obama administration scheme is far higher, probably now over 1,000. Also far more that one hundred weapons.
69 more killed thru Obama's Fast and Furious
Michael F. Haverluck,
OneNewsNow.com May 30, 2016 at 6:49 am 5 Fresh Ink
s
http://www.onenewsnow.com/politics-govt/2016/05/28/69-more-killed-thru-obamas-fast-and-furious
File - (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
The death toll from the Obama administration's notorious Fast and Furious covert program to track down weapons to Mexican drug cartels now stands at 200 after another 69 deaths were reported by a watchdog group based in the nation's capital.
President Barack Obama's botched federal sting operation hit another low as more massacres — one of which left 22 dead — have been reported by Judicial Watch, which maintains that at least 69 more people have been killed by firearms that his plan put into criminals' hands before disappearing.
Horrible track record
According to Judicial Watch, the Obama administration is responsible for arming gangsters south of the border with nearly a hundred weapons.
"[A] total of 94 Fast and Furious firearms have been recovered in Mexico City and 12 Mexican states, with the majority being seized in Sonora, Chihuahua and Sinaloa," the watchdog group out of Washington, D.C., announced. "Of the weapons recovered, 82 were rifles and 12 were pistols identified as having been part of the Fast and Furious program. Reports suggest the Fast and Furious guns are tied to at least 69 killings."
For years, Fast and Furious has drawn media attention for its failed operations.
"The gun-running operation drew attention when it was revealed that Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed in a 2010 firefight with Mexican bandits armed with a weapon that originated with Fast and Furious," WND reports. "Judicial Watch said that from December 2012 to March 2014, 94 Fast and Furious weapons were seized, including one found in the hideout of drug lord 'Chapo' Guzman."
Links to Guzman's infamous ring resurfaced again this year, when a .50-calibur rifle was confiscated during his re-arrest at the criminal mastermind's hideout in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, on January 11.
"Fast and Furious was a Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) 'gunrunning' operation in which the Obama administration allowed guns to be sold to Mexican drug cartels in the hope the weapons would be recovered at crime scenes," Judicial Watch's report continued. "Fast and Furious weapons have been implicated in the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and hundreds of other innocents in Mexico. Prior reports tie Fast and Furious weapons to at least 200 deaths in Mexico alone."
The watchdog group maintains that "violent recoveries" were needed to recover 20 of the Obama administration's guns, including a 7.62mm rifle that was seized during a massacre where 22 were fatally shot in Tlatlaya, Estado de Mexico, on June 30, 2014. A gun battle taking place last year on May 22 in Rancho el Sol, Michoacán, ended up with 42 alleged drug cartel criminals being fatally shot — along with a Mexican federal police officer — when a couple of 7.62mm rifles were confiscated.
More problems
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton revealed details it received as a result of its March 17 request made about the DOJ's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — information that was attained under the Freedom of Information Act.
"These documents show President Obama's legacy includes one of gunrunning and violence in Fast and Furious," Fitton announced. "As the production of documents from the ATF continues, we expect to see even further confirmation of Obama's disgraced former Attorney General Eric Holder's prediction that Fast and Furious guns will be used in crimes for years to come."
There is no indication that the White House will be in the clear any time soon when it comes to its failed sting operation.
"Earlier this year a federal appeals court ruled the Obama administration could not necessarily keep private certain documents that could shed light on some unclear matters," WND informed in February. "A federal appeals court overturned a lower court's determination that shielded eight documents related to the government program from congressional and public view."
Obama's Fast and Furious operation can expect to be under additional fire as Judicial Watch continues to take more actions to expose more of its fatal flaws.
END
Note: Mexican Lives Don't Matter ? ( Hispanic / Latino ? )
It is estimated that the death toll of Mexican citizens from the obama administration scheme is far higher, probably now over 1,000. Also far more that one hundred weapons.
69 more killed thru Obama's Fast and Furious
Michael F. Haverluck,
OneNewsNow.com May 30, 2016 at 6:49 am 5 Fresh Ink
s
http://www.onenewsnow.com/politics-govt/2016/05/28/69-more-killed-thru-obamas-fast-and-furious
File - (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
The death toll from the Obama administration's notorious Fast and Furious covert program to track down weapons to Mexican drug cartels now stands at 200 after another 69 deaths were reported by a watchdog group based in the nation's capital.
President Barack Obama's botched federal sting operation hit another low as more massacres — one of which left 22 dead — have been reported by Judicial Watch, which maintains that at least 69 more people have been killed by firearms that his plan put into criminals' hands before disappearing.
Horrible track record
According to Judicial Watch, the Obama administration is responsible for arming gangsters south of the border with nearly a hundred weapons.
"[A] total of 94 Fast and Furious firearms have been recovered in Mexico City and 12 Mexican states, with the majority being seized in Sonora, Chihuahua and Sinaloa," the watchdog group out of Washington, D.C., announced. "Of the weapons recovered, 82 were rifles and 12 were pistols identified as having been part of the Fast and Furious program. Reports suggest the Fast and Furious guns are tied to at least 69 killings."
For years, Fast and Furious has drawn media attention for its failed operations.
"The gun-running operation drew attention when it was revealed that Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed in a 2010 firefight with Mexican bandits armed with a weapon that originated with Fast and Furious," WND reports. "Judicial Watch said that from December 2012 to March 2014, 94 Fast and Furious weapons were seized, including one found in the hideout of drug lord 'Chapo' Guzman."
Links to Guzman's infamous ring resurfaced again this year, when a .50-calibur rifle was confiscated during his re-arrest at the criminal mastermind's hideout in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, on January 11.
"Fast and Furious was a Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) 'gunrunning' operation in which the Obama administration allowed guns to be sold to Mexican drug cartels in the hope the weapons would be recovered at crime scenes," Judicial Watch's report continued. "Fast and Furious weapons have been implicated in the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and hundreds of other innocents in Mexico. Prior reports tie Fast and Furious weapons to at least 200 deaths in Mexico alone."
The watchdog group maintains that "violent recoveries" were needed to recover 20 of the Obama administration's guns, including a 7.62mm rifle that was seized during a massacre where 22 were fatally shot in Tlatlaya, Estado de Mexico, on June 30, 2014. A gun battle taking place last year on May 22 in Rancho el Sol, Michoacán, ended up with 42 alleged drug cartel criminals being fatally shot — along with a Mexican federal police officer — when a couple of 7.62mm rifles were confiscated.
More problems
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton revealed details it received as a result of its March 17 request made about the DOJ's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — information that was attained under the Freedom of Information Act.
"These documents show President Obama's legacy includes one of gunrunning and violence in Fast and Furious," Fitton announced. "As the production of documents from the ATF continues, we expect to see even further confirmation of Obama's disgraced former Attorney General Eric Holder's prediction that Fast and Furious guns will be used in crimes for years to come."
There is no indication that the White House will be in the clear any time soon when it comes to its failed sting operation.
"Earlier this year a federal appeals court ruled the Obama administration could not necessarily keep private certain documents that could shed light on some unclear matters," WND informed in February. "A federal appeals court overturned a lower court's determination that shielded eight documents related to the government program from congressional and public view."
Obama's Fast and Furious operation can expect to be under additional fire as Judicial Watch continues to take more actions to expose more of its fatal flaws.
END
AZMEX UPDATE2 25-5-16
AZMEX UPDATE2 25 MAY 2016
Border Patrol Locked out of Indian Reservation Known for Mexican Drug Trafficking
MAY 24, 2016
http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2016/05/border-patrol-locked-indian-reservation-known-mexican-drug-trafficking/
TweetUpdate: a few hours after Judicial Watch posted this story, Border Patrol officials in Arizona reported that the road has been reopened.
An Indian reservation along the Mexican border is prohibiting the Border Patrol from entering its land, which is a notorious smuggling corridor determined by the U.S. government to be a "High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA)." Homeland Security sources tell Judicial Watch that the road in the southeast corner of the reservation has been cordoned off by a barbed wired gate to keep officers out. A hand-written cardboard sign reading "Closed, Do Not Open" has been posted on the fence. "This is the location used most for trafficking drugs into the country," a Border Patrol source told JW, adding that agents assigned to the area are "livid."
The tribe, Tohono O'odham, created the barricade a few weeks ago, Border Patrol sources tell JW, specifically to keep agents out of the reservation which is located in the south central Arizona Sonoran Desert and shares about 75 miles of border with Mexico. The reservation terrain consists largely of mountains and desert making it difficult to patrol. For years it has appeared on the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) HIDTA list because it's a significant center of illegal drug production, manufacturing, importation and distribution. The reservation is a primary transshipment zone for methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and marijuana destined for the United States, a DEA official revealed in congressional testimony a few years ago. In 2015 Arizona led all four Border Patrol sectors in drug seizures with 928,858 pounds of drugs confiscated, according to agency figures.
The relationship between the Border Patrol and the tribe has been stormy over the years, with accusations of human rights violations by federal agents and allegations that the agents' presence has implemented a police state. Though only 75 miles runs along the Mexican border, the reservation is about 2.8 million acres or roughly the size of Connecticut and has about 30,000 members. The tribe's official website says that nine of its communities are located in Mexico and they are separated by the United States/Mexico border. "In fact, the U.S.-Mexico border has become an artificial barrier to the freedom of the Tohono O'odham," the tribe claims. "On countless occasions, the U.S. Border Patrol has detained and deported members of the Tohono O'odham Nation who were simply traveling through their own traditional lands, practicing migratory traditions essential to their religion, economy and culture. Similarly, on many occasions U.S. Customs have prevented Tohono O'odham from transporting raw materials and goods essential for their spirituality, economy and traditional culture. Border officials are also reported to have confiscated cultural and religious items, such as feathers of common birds, pine leaves or sweet grass."
A New York Times story published years ago explained that tightening of border security to the east and west after the 9/11 terrorist attacks funneled more drug traffic through the Tohono O'odham reservation. This created a need for more Border Patrol officers to be deployed to the crime-infested area. The article also revealed that tribe members are complicit in the trafficking business. "Hundreds of tribal members have been prosecuted in federal, state or tribal courts for smuggling drugs or humans, taking offers that reach $5,000 for storing marijuana or transporting it across the reservation," the article states. "In a few families, both parents have been sent to prison, leaving grandparents to raise the children." The drug smugglers work mainly for the notorious Sinaloa Cartel, the piece revealed.
Nevertheless, federal officers have been told by Homeland Security superiors that they can't cut the new wire fence obstacle to access the reservation even though it sits in the Border Patrol's busiest drug sector. Perhaps the U.S. government can use money to force compliance. The Tohono O'odham recently got a huge chunk of change from Uncle Sam, $2.75 million, to build single-family homes for its largely poor tribe members. Maybe the feds can withhold future allocations for the tribe's various projects until it allows Border Patrol officers to do their job. In the meantime, a veteran Arizona law enforcement officer who's worked in the region for decades says "a little wire and a small gate can cause huge security problems."
END
Border Patrol Locked out of Indian Reservation Known for Mexican Drug Trafficking
MAY 24, 2016
http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2016/05/border-patrol-locked-indian-reservation-known-mexican-drug-trafficking/
TweetUpdate: a few hours after Judicial Watch posted this story, Border Patrol officials in Arizona reported that the road has been reopened.
An Indian reservation along the Mexican border is prohibiting the Border Patrol from entering its land, which is a notorious smuggling corridor determined by the U.S. government to be a "High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA)." Homeland Security sources tell Judicial Watch that the road in the southeast corner of the reservation has been cordoned off by a barbed wired gate to keep officers out. A hand-written cardboard sign reading "Closed, Do Not Open" has been posted on the fence. "This is the location used most for trafficking drugs into the country," a Border Patrol source told JW, adding that agents assigned to the area are "livid."
The tribe, Tohono O'odham, created the barricade a few weeks ago, Border Patrol sources tell JW, specifically to keep agents out of the reservation which is located in the south central Arizona Sonoran Desert and shares about 75 miles of border with Mexico. The reservation terrain consists largely of mountains and desert making it difficult to patrol. For years it has appeared on the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) HIDTA list because it's a significant center of illegal drug production, manufacturing, importation and distribution. The reservation is a primary transshipment zone for methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and marijuana destined for the United States, a DEA official revealed in congressional testimony a few years ago. In 2015 Arizona led all four Border Patrol sectors in drug seizures with 928,858 pounds of drugs confiscated, according to agency figures.
The relationship between the Border Patrol and the tribe has been stormy over the years, with accusations of human rights violations by federal agents and allegations that the agents' presence has implemented a police state. Though only 75 miles runs along the Mexican border, the reservation is about 2.8 million acres or roughly the size of Connecticut and has about 30,000 members. The tribe's official website says that nine of its communities are located in Mexico and they are separated by the United States/Mexico border. "In fact, the U.S.-Mexico border has become an artificial barrier to the freedom of the Tohono O'odham," the tribe claims. "On countless occasions, the U.S. Border Patrol has detained and deported members of the Tohono O'odham Nation who were simply traveling through their own traditional lands, practicing migratory traditions essential to their religion, economy and culture. Similarly, on many occasions U.S. Customs have prevented Tohono O'odham from transporting raw materials and goods essential for their spirituality, economy and traditional culture. Border officials are also reported to have confiscated cultural and religious items, such as feathers of common birds, pine leaves or sweet grass."
A New York Times story published years ago explained that tightening of border security to the east and west after the 9/11 terrorist attacks funneled more drug traffic through the Tohono O'odham reservation. This created a need for more Border Patrol officers to be deployed to the crime-infested area. The article also revealed that tribe members are complicit in the trafficking business. "Hundreds of tribal members have been prosecuted in federal, state or tribal courts for smuggling drugs or humans, taking offers that reach $5,000 for storing marijuana or transporting it across the reservation," the article states. "In a few families, both parents have been sent to prison, leaving grandparents to raise the children." The drug smugglers work mainly for the notorious Sinaloa Cartel, the piece revealed.
Nevertheless, federal officers have been told by Homeland Security superiors that they can't cut the new wire fence obstacle to access the reservation even though it sits in the Border Patrol's busiest drug sector. Perhaps the U.S. government can use money to force compliance. The Tohono O'odham recently got a huge chunk of change from Uncle Sam, $2.75 million, to build single-family homes for its largely poor tribe members. Maybe the feds can withhold future allocations for the tribe's various projects until it allows Border Patrol officers to do their job. In the meantime, a veteran Arizona law enforcement officer who's worked in the region for decades says "a little wire and a small gate can cause huge security problems."
END
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
AZMEX UPDATE 24-5-16
AZMEX UPDATE 24 MAY 2016
Arizona sheriff warns Memorial Day travelers of Mexican cartel assassins
KTAR.COM | May 24, 2016 @ 5:40 am
http://ktar.com/story/1085817/arizona-sheriff-warns-memorial-day-travelers-of-mexican-cartel-assassins/
(Pinal County Sheriff's Office Photos)
PHOENIX — An Arizona sheriff is warning Memorial Day travelers about the dangers posed by professional assassins hired by the Mexican drug cartels.
The Pinal County Sheriff's Office said in a Monday release it was informed the cartels are likely sending the assassins — referred to as "sicarios" — to take out crews who are attempting to steal drug shipments from the cartels in smuggling corridors.
"We are taking this threat seriously and believe that the public and my deputies deserve to know that there is an elevated risk of encountering gun violence in certain areas of Pinal County," Sheriff Paul Babeu said in a press release.
Babeu went on to say he is concerned that potential violence between the assassins and those looking to steal drugs could harm "innocent Americans and my deputies."
Babeu said people who choose to celebrate Memorial Day in Pinal County's western deserts should be armed in the instance they come across smugglers or sicarios.
PCSO said it has received reports of multiple shootouts between rival gangs south of its jurisdiction. It also said it arrested 21 cartel scouts and numerous smugglers last year.
The agency add that the last time it received similar information about a brewing feud in Pinal County, it found two dead cartel scouts on a mountain top.
end
Documents: Somali citizen tried to run over border agents in southern Arizona
Katie Conner
7:21 AM, May 23, 2016
48 mins ago
southern arizona
http://www.abc15.com/news/region-central-southern-az/other/documents-somali-citizen-tried-to-run-over-border-agents-in-southern-arizona
A Somali citizen tried to run over Border Patrol agents in southern Arizona after a high speed pursuit, according to federal investigators.
In April, investigators say Ahmed Elni Abdalla drove up to a checkpoint near Amado. When agents approached Abdalla's car, he drove through the stop sign and tried to get away at a "high rate of speed".
The high-speed pursuit continued up to Green Valley where agents were able to box in Abdalla's car.
However, Abdalla allegedly refused to get out. When agents tried to break his car window, Abdalla drove right at agents who had to "jump out of the way in order to avoid being hit," according to federal paperwork.
In December, another Somali citizen was detained by Border Patrol agents. Investigators say Omar Haji Mohamed was paid to help sneak people across the U.S. Border.
END
Also: http://www.abc15.com/news/state/somali-citizen-paid-to-help-sneak-people-across-us-border
Arizona sheriff warns Memorial Day travelers of Mexican cartel assassins
KTAR.COM | May 24, 2016 @ 5:40 am
http://ktar.com/story/1085817/arizona-sheriff-warns-memorial-day-travelers-of-mexican-cartel-assassins/
(Pinal County Sheriff's Office Photos)
PHOENIX — An Arizona sheriff is warning Memorial Day travelers about the dangers posed by professional assassins hired by the Mexican drug cartels.
The Pinal County Sheriff's Office said in a Monday release it was informed the cartels are likely sending the assassins — referred to as "sicarios" — to take out crews who are attempting to steal drug shipments from the cartels in smuggling corridors.
"We are taking this threat seriously and believe that the public and my deputies deserve to know that there is an elevated risk of encountering gun violence in certain areas of Pinal County," Sheriff Paul Babeu said in a press release.
Babeu went on to say he is concerned that potential violence between the assassins and those looking to steal drugs could harm "innocent Americans and my deputies."
Babeu said people who choose to celebrate Memorial Day in Pinal County's western deserts should be armed in the instance they come across smugglers or sicarios.
PCSO said it has received reports of multiple shootouts between rival gangs south of its jurisdiction. It also said it arrested 21 cartel scouts and numerous smugglers last year.
The agency add that the last time it received similar information about a brewing feud in Pinal County, it found two dead cartel scouts on a mountain top.
end
Documents: Somali citizen tried to run over border agents in southern Arizona
Katie Conner
7:21 AM, May 23, 2016
48 mins ago
southern arizona
http://www.abc15.com/news/region-central-southern-az/other/documents-somali-citizen-tried-to-run-over-border-agents-in-southern-arizona
A Somali citizen tried to run over Border Patrol agents in southern Arizona after a high speed pursuit, according to federal investigators.
In April, investigators say Ahmed Elni Abdalla drove up to a checkpoint near Amado. When agents approached Abdalla's car, he drove through the stop sign and tried to get away at a "high rate of speed".
The high-speed pursuit continued up to Green Valley where agents were able to box in Abdalla's car.
However, Abdalla allegedly refused to get out. When agents tried to break his car window, Abdalla drove right at agents who had to "jump out of the way in order to avoid being hit," according to federal paperwork.
In December, another Somali citizen was detained by Border Patrol agents. Investigators say Omar Haji Mohamed was paid to help sneak people across the U.S. Border.
END
Also: http://www.abc15.com/news/state/somali-citizen-paid-to-help-sneak-people-across-us-border
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
AZMEX SPECIAL 10-5-16
AZMEX SPECIAL 10 MAY 2016
Eye on border security: Panel address issues during congressional hearing
By David Rookhuyzen drookhuyzen@gvnews.com 4 hrs ago 0
David Rookhuyzen | Green Valley News
http://www.douglasdispatch.com/news/eye-on-border-security-panel-address-issues-during-congressional-hearing/article_2d0bdb78-16ed-11e6-a8ee-a79b0330e5d8.html
Art Del Cueto (right), president of the National Border Patrol Council Local 2544, speaks as part of a panel on a Congressional field hearing on border security Monday in Sahuarita with Douglas Mayor Danny Ortega (middle) and Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels.
Eye on border security
U.S. Rep. Martha McSally speaks with Nogales businessman Jaime Chamberlain (left) and Cochise County rancher Frank Krentz following a congressional hearing on border security held in Sahuarita on Monday.
The system is broken and no one knows quite how to fix it. But for now, the best solution is to get all possible ideas on the record.
That's the take-away Monday from a congressional field hearing on securing Arizona's southern border led by U.S. Rep. Martha McSally in Sahuarita. The three-hour hearing of the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Safety, held in the town council chamber, consisted of one panel made up of law enforcement and elected officials and another of border residents and businesses.
Each panel member read a prepared statement and took questions from McSally and U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce of New Mexico, whose district borders Arizona. Both are Republicans.
McSally said she was holding the hearing because of a disconnect on the issues between policymakers and people who live along the border. All the testimony from Monday was now on the Congressional record for her colleagues to review when making decisions on border security.
"Our intent was to bring Washington to Southern Arizona and bring perspective," she said.
Some of the topics from Monday:
Secure the border
Art Del Cueto, president of National Border Patrol Council Local 2544, said the agency is down roughly 5,000 agents from where it should be for its mission. The last time the number of agents was increased significantly, many were taken off the border and farmed out to other agencies. Del Cueto said the Border Patrol should have a defense-in-depth strategy and not put all the resources on the border itself.
"We are essentially playing goal-line defense every day," he said.
Dan Bell, a rancher near Nogales, said that having access to stretches of the border was key to enforcement. A two-mile road was just put in on his ranch along the border, but that took 10 years to accomplish, he said. "Getting to the border is paramount if one is to protect it," Bell said.
Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels said the plan for border security needs to be redefined, taking what has worked from the past and retooling it for new challenges. He also was one of several who gave testimony that, in addition to any increase in Border Patrol agents, there needs to be an increase in prosecutions of illegal immigrants.
Frank Krentz, a Cochise County rancher whose father, Robert, was killed in 2010 by a suspected illegal immigrant, also said there needs to be judicial reform. He recounted stories of immigrants who know which court jurisdictions will treat them with more leniency if caught.
Commercial interests
A couple panel members wanted to make sure any increased border security would not hamper a bustling trade with Mexico.
Jaime Chamberlain, president of Nogales, Ariz.-based J-C Distributing Inc., said money should be put into improving the state's ports of entry to make them more effective and efficient. The recently upgraded Mariposa Port of Entry is understaffed, he said, keeping the local economy from booming.
Chamberlain also said securing the border and meeting commercial demands are not an either/or matter.
"Securing Danny Bell's ranch and Jaime Chamberlain's port of entry are equally important," he said.
Douglas Mayor Danny Ortega said 65 percent of his city's general fund comes from sales tax revenue, and 80 percent of sales come from those crossing the border to spend money in Arizona.
"We need to view the southern border as an asset and not a liability," he said.
Immigration reform
Though the hearing was focusing on border security, more than a few witnesses testified that security has to be coupled with an overhaul to the country's immigration system.
Ortega called for a streamlining of the process for Mexican citizens to obtain B1/B2 border crossing cards to cross into the U.S. to shop or visit.
Pastor Mark Adams with the bi-national ministry Frontera de Cristo, based in Douglas and Agua Prieta, Sonora, said 1990s immigration policies making it harder to cross between the two countries may have actually led to an increase in those entering the U.S. illegally. Those on the border have seen a shift between young men entering the country looking for work toward women and families doing so, he said.
Adams also called the tension between border security and immigration reform a "false" and "dangerous" dichotomy.
Nan Stockholm Walden, vice president and counsel for Farmers Investment Co., said border issues need a multi-layered approach and that the temporary worker system is broken. She advocated for ID cards with biometric markers and other means to allow those who want to work in the U.S. to do so.
"We are confusing Juan and Juanita, who just want to come here to work … with Juan the drug smuggler," she said.
Internal checkpoints
McSally asked each panel member about their thoughts on the use of internal Border Patrol checkpoints, such as the one on northbound Interstate 19 north of Tubac.
Del Cueto argued they serve a purpose and help deter illegal traffic. The Border Patrol knows that if someone manages to get through the border and then 10 miles into the U.S., the chances of catching them decreases.
"(The checkpoint agents) are not here to give anyone a hard time, they are here to do their job," he said.
Chamberlain called the checkpoints cumbersome, especially along a huge freight corridor such as I-19. He also said ruts are forming on the road where trucks are stopped and nearby property values are adversely affected. "I don't see the checkpoints being that effective," he said.
Stockholm Walden recommended roving checkpoints that shift time and place to better catch smugglers unawares.
Bell wasn't sold on the idea of checkpoints but didn't think it was a pressing issue.
"For now I think it's a necessity, but let's keep our focus on getting down to the border," he said.
end
Southern Arizonans call for secure border at Congressional field hearing
BY KATHY CLINE
May 10, 2016 @ 3:15 pm
(AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo)
PHOENIX — Southern Arizonans minced few words Monday as they called for a secure border during a Congressional field hearing held in the state.
"We have damage being done to our fences," Nogales rancher Dan Bell said. "Our watering facilities were damaged and drained. Our vehicles are stolen. Homes are broken into and valuables taken."
The hearing was hosted in Sahuarita by U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, who represents the state's 2nd Congressional District, after the House passed a bill that allows for a full threat assessment of the nation's southern border. H.R. 4482 will also study trade and immigration.
"Contrary to what we've been told, the border is not secure," she said. "And the consequences of this failure are felt by our residents every day. That's why southern Arizonans' perspectives are so important."
Most people at the hearing agreed with McSally.
"Violence against innocent citizens, public officials, law enforcement and rival drug, human-trafficking groups continues to escalate," Cochise County Sheriff Mark Daniels said.
However, some urged officials to remember that no matter what steps they may consider or take, they will affect those who call the area home.
"It's home to me, and it's home to millions of others," pastor Mark Adams said. "Too often, the border has been seen as a place to defend, as a place to be afraid of.
"As you all undertake the task of making laws, and trying to oversee the policies that make our border secure, I really want to encourage you to remember that the border is home."
END
Border Patrol checkpoints focus of congressional field hearing
Monday, May 9th 2016, 3:56 pm MST
Monday, May 9th 2016, 6:39 pm MST
By Bud Foster, Reporter
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/31929685/border-patrol-checkpoints-focus-of-congressional-field-hearing
SAHUARITA, AZ (Tucson News Now) -
A field hearing on border security Monday, May 9, brought out many diverse opinions about how to secure the border without damaging commerce, but there seemed to be general consensus that the border checkpoints hurt more than they help.
The congressional hearing in Sahuarita was chaired by District 2 Congresswoman Martha McSally, who is chairwoman of the Maritime Security Subcommittee.
A diverse group of politicians and regular citizens testified that the checkpoints, which are located 22 miles from the border, act as an impediment to commercial trade and do little to enhance security.
"Used to be that I had to advertise for 45 days to make sure no American can do this job," says Nan Stockholm-Walden, Vice President of Farmers Investment Council. "Now it's 75 days."
Many times those crops, like grapes or strawberries, will perish in the field before they can be harvested.
"A lot of policies in Washington don't work so well in the real world," said Stockholm-Walden.
McSally says she has "heard all this before" but wants to make it part of the Congressional record in hopes of adding to information, which may change policy.
She wants her Washington colleagues to hear how people who live in southern Arizona have concerns about deploying agents 22 miles in, rather that at the border.
"The business community is concerned it's impacting their business, their flow of traffic and attracting new business to our community," she said.
McSally also argues the smugglers go around the checkpoints leaving nearby neighborhoods vulnerable.
"It's a public threat to them," she said.
It is the Border Patrol's policy of "defense in depth" that allows time to make stops and arrests when someone, including drug smugglers, make it across the border.
In an effort to avoid the fixed, permanent checkpoints, the criminals just go around them and rejoin their route on the other side.
Some say it's time for a new policy that stations border agents along the border to enhance the fence, which runs for more than 600 miles. But at the same time, massing the border agents in the ports of entry along the border will only slow down commerce, which is nearly $2 billion in Douglas, AZ alone.
Others call for a renewed effort for immigration reform.
"We've had 20 years of border walls, more agents, more helicopters, more roads and none of that has solved the problem," said Dan Mills, of the Sierra Club. "We need to start looking at the root causes."
He says the policy needs to change to encourage people "to come through the front door rather than sneaking in the back door."
Arizona and much of the nation relies on a quick delivery of goods, services and produce. Anything that delays that costs money.
The testimony from Monday's hearing will be part of the Congressional record.
END
Eye on border security: Panel address issues during congressional hearing
By David Rookhuyzen drookhuyzen@gvnews.com 4 hrs ago 0
David Rookhuyzen | Green Valley News
http://www.douglasdispatch.com/news/eye-on-border-security-panel-address-issues-during-congressional-hearing/article_2d0bdb78-16ed-11e6-a8ee-a79b0330e5d8.html
Art Del Cueto (right), president of the National Border Patrol Council Local 2544, speaks as part of a panel on a Congressional field hearing on border security Monday in Sahuarita with Douglas Mayor Danny Ortega (middle) and Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels.
Eye on border security
U.S. Rep. Martha McSally speaks with Nogales businessman Jaime Chamberlain (left) and Cochise County rancher Frank Krentz following a congressional hearing on border security held in Sahuarita on Monday.
The system is broken and no one knows quite how to fix it. But for now, the best solution is to get all possible ideas on the record.
That's the take-away Monday from a congressional field hearing on securing Arizona's southern border led by U.S. Rep. Martha McSally in Sahuarita. The three-hour hearing of the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Safety, held in the town council chamber, consisted of one panel made up of law enforcement and elected officials and another of border residents and businesses.
Each panel member read a prepared statement and took questions from McSally and U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce of New Mexico, whose district borders Arizona. Both are Republicans.
McSally said she was holding the hearing because of a disconnect on the issues between policymakers and people who live along the border. All the testimony from Monday was now on the Congressional record for her colleagues to review when making decisions on border security.
"Our intent was to bring Washington to Southern Arizona and bring perspective," she said.
Some of the topics from Monday:
Secure the border
Art Del Cueto, president of National Border Patrol Council Local 2544, said the agency is down roughly 5,000 agents from where it should be for its mission. The last time the number of agents was increased significantly, many were taken off the border and farmed out to other agencies. Del Cueto said the Border Patrol should have a defense-in-depth strategy and not put all the resources on the border itself.
"We are essentially playing goal-line defense every day," he said.
Dan Bell, a rancher near Nogales, said that having access to stretches of the border was key to enforcement. A two-mile road was just put in on his ranch along the border, but that took 10 years to accomplish, he said. "Getting to the border is paramount if one is to protect it," Bell said.
Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels said the plan for border security needs to be redefined, taking what has worked from the past and retooling it for new challenges. He also was one of several who gave testimony that, in addition to any increase in Border Patrol agents, there needs to be an increase in prosecutions of illegal immigrants.
Frank Krentz, a Cochise County rancher whose father, Robert, was killed in 2010 by a suspected illegal immigrant, also said there needs to be judicial reform. He recounted stories of immigrants who know which court jurisdictions will treat them with more leniency if caught.
Commercial interests
A couple panel members wanted to make sure any increased border security would not hamper a bustling trade with Mexico.
Jaime Chamberlain, president of Nogales, Ariz.-based J-C Distributing Inc., said money should be put into improving the state's ports of entry to make them more effective and efficient. The recently upgraded Mariposa Port of Entry is understaffed, he said, keeping the local economy from booming.
Chamberlain also said securing the border and meeting commercial demands are not an either/or matter.
"Securing Danny Bell's ranch and Jaime Chamberlain's port of entry are equally important," he said.
Douglas Mayor Danny Ortega said 65 percent of his city's general fund comes from sales tax revenue, and 80 percent of sales come from those crossing the border to spend money in Arizona.
"We need to view the southern border as an asset and not a liability," he said.
Immigration reform
Though the hearing was focusing on border security, more than a few witnesses testified that security has to be coupled with an overhaul to the country's immigration system.
Ortega called for a streamlining of the process for Mexican citizens to obtain B1/B2 border crossing cards to cross into the U.S. to shop or visit.
Pastor Mark Adams with the bi-national ministry Frontera de Cristo, based in Douglas and Agua Prieta, Sonora, said 1990s immigration policies making it harder to cross between the two countries may have actually led to an increase in those entering the U.S. illegally. Those on the border have seen a shift between young men entering the country looking for work toward women and families doing so, he said.
Adams also called the tension between border security and immigration reform a "false" and "dangerous" dichotomy.
Nan Stockholm Walden, vice president and counsel for Farmers Investment Co., said border issues need a multi-layered approach and that the temporary worker system is broken. She advocated for ID cards with biometric markers and other means to allow those who want to work in the U.S. to do so.
"We are confusing Juan and Juanita, who just want to come here to work … with Juan the drug smuggler," she said.
Internal checkpoints
McSally asked each panel member about their thoughts on the use of internal Border Patrol checkpoints, such as the one on northbound Interstate 19 north of Tubac.
Del Cueto argued they serve a purpose and help deter illegal traffic. The Border Patrol knows that if someone manages to get through the border and then 10 miles into the U.S., the chances of catching them decreases.
"(The checkpoint agents) are not here to give anyone a hard time, they are here to do their job," he said.
Chamberlain called the checkpoints cumbersome, especially along a huge freight corridor such as I-19. He also said ruts are forming on the road where trucks are stopped and nearby property values are adversely affected. "I don't see the checkpoints being that effective," he said.
Stockholm Walden recommended roving checkpoints that shift time and place to better catch smugglers unawares.
Bell wasn't sold on the idea of checkpoints but didn't think it was a pressing issue.
"For now I think it's a necessity, but let's keep our focus on getting down to the border," he said.
end
Southern Arizonans call for secure border at Congressional field hearing
BY KATHY CLINE
May 10, 2016 @ 3:15 pm
(AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo)
PHOENIX — Southern Arizonans minced few words Monday as they called for a secure border during a Congressional field hearing held in the state.
"We have damage being done to our fences," Nogales rancher Dan Bell said. "Our watering facilities were damaged and drained. Our vehicles are stolen. Homes are broken into and valuables taken."
The hearing was hosted in Sahuarita by U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, who represents the state's 2nd Congressional District, after the House passed a bill that allows for a full threat assessment of the nation's southern border. H.R. 4482 will also study trade and immigration.
"Contrary to what we've been told, the border is not secure," she said. "And the consequences of this failure are felt by our residents every day. That's why southern Arizonans' perspectives are so important."
Most people at the hearing agreed with McSally.
"Violence against innocent citizens, public officials, law enforcement and rival drug, human-trafficking groups continues to escalate," Cochise County Sheriff Mark Daniels said.
However, some urged officials to remember that no matter what steps they may consider or take, they will affect those who call the area home.
"It's home to me, and it's home to millions of others," pastor Mark Adams said. "Too often, the border has been seen as a place to defend, as a place to be afraid of.
"As you all undertake the task of making laws, and trying to oversee the policies that make our border secure, I really want to encourage you to remember that the border is home."
END
Border Patrol checkpoints focus of congressional field hearing
Monday, May 9th 2016, 3:56 pm MST
Monday, May 9th 2016, 6:39 pm MST
By Bud Foster, Reporter
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/31929685/border-patrol-checkpoints-focus-of-congressional-field-hearing
SAHUARITA, AZ (Tucson News Now) -
A field hearing on border security Monday, May 9, brought out many diverse opinions about how to secure the border without damaging commerce, but there seemed to be general consensus that the border checkpoints hurt more than they help.
The congressional hearing in Sahuarita was chaired by District 2 Congresswoman Martha McSally, who is chairwoman of the Maritime Security Subcommittee.
A diverse group of politicians and regular citizens testified that the checkpoints, which are located 22 miles from the border, act as an impediment to commercial trade and do little to enhance security.
"Used to be that I had to advertise for 45 days to make sure no American can do this job," says Nan Stockholm-Walden, Vice President of Farmers Investment Council. "Now it's 75 days."
Many times those crops, like grapes or strawberries, will perish in the field before they can be harvested.
"A lot of policies in Washington don't work so well in the real world," said Stockholm-Walden.
McSally says she has "heard all this before" but wants to make it part of the Congressional record in hopes of adding to information, which may change policy.
She wants her Washington colleagues to hear how people who live in southern Arizona have concerns about deploying agents 22 miles in, rather that at the border.
"The business community is concerned it's impacting their business, their flow of traffic and attracting new business to our community," she said.
McSally also argues the smugglers go around the checkpoints leaving nearby neighborhoods vulnerable.
"It's a public threat to them," she said.
It is the Border Patrol's policy of "defense in depth" that allows time to make stops and arrests when someone, including drug smugglers, make it across the border.
In an effort to avoid the fixed, permanent checkpoints, the criminals just go around them and rejoin their route on the other side.
Some say it's time for a new policy that stations border agents along the border to enhance the fence, which runs for more than 600 miles. But at the same time, massing the border agents in the ports of entry along the border will only slow down commerce, which is nearly $2 billion in Douglas, AZ alone.
Others call for a renewed effort for immigration reform.
"We've had 20 years of border walls, more agents, more helicopters, more roads and none of that has solved the problem," said Dan Mills, of the Sierra Club. "We need to start looking at the root causes."
He says the policy needs to change to encourage people "to come through the front door rather than sneaking in the back door."
Arizona and much of the nation relies on a quick delivery of goods, services and produce. Anything that delays that costs money.
The testimony from Monday's hearing will be part of the Congressional record.
END
Sunday, May 8, 2016
AZMEX UPDATE 7-5-16
AZMEX UPDATE 7 MAY 2016
Note: video at link.
Posted: May 06, 2016 8:12 PM MST
Updated: May 06, 2016 8:15 PM MST
Border family calls for more agents after ranch overrun by drug smugglers
Written By Aalia Shaheed
Written By Anthony Victor Reyes
http://www.kvoa.com/story/31914493/border-family-calls-for-more-agents-after-ranch-overrun-by-drug-smugglers
TUCSON -
Border Patrol agents are the first line of defense for southern Arizonans who live in border communities.
One family said their ranch is being overrun by drug smugglers. They claim there are not enough agents on the border.
Jim and Sue Chilton have lived in an Arivaca ranch for decades. It is their dream home, but Mexican cartels have turned it into more of a nightmare.
"To have 'druggers' coming through our ranch all the time and we have absolute evidence of it," said Jim Chilton. "It's just outrageous."
Border Patrol operates forward operating camps, which place agents from the Tucson Sector in various hot spots along the border.
The Chiltons said there simply are not enough of those camps because agents are too busy working checkpoints away from the border, leaving their backyard wide open to drug smugglers.
"We live in no man's land and that's intolerable," said Jim Chilton. "The U.S. government should secure the international boundary at the boundary."
Sue Chilton recently spoke about life on the border in front of a house subcommittee on border security.
"What needs to happen is we need a wall on the border, but a wall without patrolling is useless," she said.
Some southern Arizona residents like environmentalist Nan Walden said a border wall would affect the desert landscape of the area. "We don't want to destroy the features of these lands and the flora and fauna that make them so special," said Walden.
Bother side agree, something has to be done to better secure border communities.
end
Border Patrol agent attacked
Friday, May 6th 2016, 3:40 pm MST
Friday, May 6th 2016, 4:33 pm MST
By Kevin Adger, ReporterCONNECT
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/31913308/border-patrol-agent-attacked
Needle stuck in chewing gum. (Source: Facebook)
TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) -
A Tucson Sector Border Patrol agent is going through testing after being pricked by a needle.
The agent was just getting ready to start his day. He had stopped at a local convenient store near Three Points.
The President of the Local 2544 Border Patrol Union said, "The agent opened his passenger side door and felt a sharp pain in his finger."
The agent then looked under the door handle and found a hypodermic needle stuck to gum.
The BP agent is going through medical testing, because nobody knows what was in the needle.
The Union president tells Tucson News Now that he has advised his nearly 3,000 agents to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings when stopping at local businesses.
As for this case, it is now under investigation by the FBI.
END
Note: photos at link.
Ports and Border: Outbound check turns up handguns; body-carriers busted
From CBP reports May 6, 2016 (0)
Handguns
CBP photo
The three handguns confiscated from an Audi crossover vehicle.
Handguns
CBP photo
CBP officers in Nogales uncovered a hidden compartment where three handguns were concealed.
Handguns
CBP photo
A hidden compartment underneath the seats of an Audi was found to contain three handguns.
Handguns
CBP photo
Three handguns were taken from the hidden compartment.
Cocaine
CBP photo
Officers at the DeConcini pedestrian crossing searched a 22-year-old Nogales man and found nearly three pounds of cocaine taped beneath his clothing.
Meth
CBP photo
When a woman was searched by CBP officers at the Morley gate, she was found to have packages of meth wrapped around her lower legs
Meth
CBP photo
When a woman was searched by CBP officers at the Morley gate, she was found to have packages of meth wrapped around her lower legs
May 4
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at an unspecified Nogales port of entry selected an southbound Audi Crossover driven by a 37-year-old Mexican national for a secondary inspection and found two 9mm Berettas and a .38-caliber Colt handgun hidden in a secret compartment under the vehicle's front seat.
May 3
• CBP officers at the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry referred a 32-year-old Tucson woman for further inspection of her Volkswagen vehicle and found more than 20 pounds of cocaine, worth almost $230,000, in the rear quarter panels.
• CBP officers at the Morley Avenue pedestrian crossing referred a 25-year-old Mexican woman for a further search. After a drug-sniffing dog alerted to the presence of narcotics, officers found more than four pounds of meth wrapped around the woman's calves. The drugs were valued at more than $12,000.
• Officers at the DeConcini pedestrian crossing found nearly three pounds of cocaine, worth almost $30,000, taped around the legs of a 22-year-old Nogales man after a drug-sniffing dog alerted to the stash.
May 2
• A 72-year-old Mexican man was referred for a secondary inspection of his truck at the DeConcini port. CBP officers then found more than 71 pounds of methamphetamine, worth in excess of $214,000, and nearly 2.5 pounds of cocaine, valued at almost $28,000, hidden in the vehicle.
April 26
• Border Patrol agents working at the Interstate 19 checkpoint referred a Ford sedan for a secondary inspection area. The driver and a female passenger, Brisseth Karina Gallardo-Ruiz, exited the vehicle for an immigration inspection. Agents then discovered that Gallardo-Ruiz, a 22-year-old U.S. citizen, was concealing two packages of heroin with a combined weight of 6.65 pounds on her body. The drugs were valued at almost $116,000.
end
Note: video at link.
Posted: May 06, 2016 8:12 PM MST
Updated: May 06, 2016 8:15 PM MST
Border family calls for more agents after ranch overrun by drug smugglers
Written By Aalia Shaheed
Written By Anthony Victor Reyes
http://www.kvoa.com/story/31914493/border-family-calls-for-more-agents-after-ranch-overrun-by-drug-smugglers
TUCSON -
Border Patrol agents are the first line of defense for southern Arizonans who live in border communities.
One family said their ranch is being overrun by drug smugglers. They claim there are not enough agents on the border.
Jim and Sue Chilton have lived in an Arivaca ranch for decades. It is their dream home, but Mexican cartels have turned it into more of a nightmare.
"To have 'druggers' coming through our ranch all the time and we have absolute evidence of it," said Jim Chilton. "It's just outrageous."
Border Patrol operates forward operating camps, which place agents from the Tucson Sector in various hot spots along the border.
The Chiltons said there simply are not enough of those camps because agents are too busy working checkpoints away from the border, leaving their backyard wide open to drug smugglers.
"We live in no man's land and that's intolerable," said Jim Chilton. "The U.S. government should secure the international boundary at the boundary."
Sue Chilton recently spoke about life on the border in front of a house subcommittee on border security.
"What needs to happen is we need a wall on the border, but a wall without patrolling is useless," she said.
Some southern Arizona residents like environmentalist Nan Walden said a border wall would affect the desert landscape of the area. "We don't want to destroy the features of these lands and the flora and fauna that make them so special," said Walden.
Bother side agree, something has to be done to better secure border communities.
end
Border Patrol agent attacked
Friday, May 6th 2016, 3:40 pm MST
Friday, May 6th 2016, 4:33 pm MST
By Kevin Adger, ReporterCONNECT
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/31913308/border-patrol-agent-attacked
Needle stuck in chewing gum. (Source: Facebook)
TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) -
A Tucson Sector Border Patrol agent is going through testing after being pricked by a needle.
The agent was just getting ready to start his day. He had stopped at a local convenient store near Three Points.
The President of the Local 2544 Border Patrol Union said, "The agent opened his passenger side door and felt a sharp pain in his finger."
The agent then looked under the door handle and found a hypodermic needle stuck to gum.
The BP agent is going through medical testing, because nobody knows what was in the needle.
The Union president tells Tucson News Now that he has advised his nearly 3,000 agents to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings when stopping at local businesses.
As for this case, it is now under investigation by the FBI.
END
Note: photos at link.
Ports and Border: Outbound check turns up handguns; body-carriers busted
From CBP reports May 6, 2016 (0)
Handguns
CBP photo
The three handguns confiscated from an Audi crossover vehicle.
Handguns
CBP photo
CBP officers in Nogales uncovered a hidden compartment where three handguns were concealed.
Handguns
CBP photo
A hidden compartment underneath the seats of an Audi was found to contain three handguns.
Handguns
CBP photo
Three handguns were taken from the hidden compartment.
Cocaine
CBP photo
Officers at the DeConcini pedestrian crossing searched a 22-year-old Nogales man and found nearly three pounds of cocaine taped beneath his clothing.
Meth
CBP photo
When a woman was searched by CBP officers at the Morley gate, she was found to have packages of meth wrapped around her lower legs
Meth
CBP photo
When a woman was searched by CBP officers at the Morley gate, she was found to have packages of meth wrapped around her lower legs
May 4
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at an unspecified Nogales port of entry selected an southbound Audi Crossover driven by a 37-year-old Mexican national for a secondary inspection and found two 9mm Berettas and a .38-caliber Colt handgun hidden in a secret compartment under the vehicle's front seat.
May 3
• CBP officers at the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry referred a 32-year-old Tucson woman for further inspection of her Volkswagen vehicle and found more than 20 pounds of cocaine, worth almost $230,000, in the rear quarter panels.
• CBP officers at the Morley Avenue pedestrian crossing referred a 25-year-old Mexican woman for a further search. After a drug-sniffing dog alerted to the presence of narcotics, officers found more than four pounds of meth wrapped around the woman's calves. The drugs were valued at more than $12,000.
• Officers at the DeConcini pedestrian crossing found nearly three pounds of cocaine, worth almost $30,000, taped around the legs of a 22-year-old Nogales man after a drug-sniffing dog alerted to the stash.
May 2
• A 72-year-old Mexican man was referred for a secondary inspection of his truck at the DeConcini port. CBP officers then found more than 71 pounds of methamphetamine, worth in excess of $214,000, and nearly 2.5 pounds of cocaine, valued at almost $28,000, hidden in the vehicle.
April 26
• Border Patrol agents working at the Interstate 19 checkpoint referred a Ford sedan for a secondary inspection area. The driver and a female passenger, Brisseth Karina Gallardo-Ruiz, exited the vehicle for an immigration inspection. Agents then discovered that Gallardo-Ruiz, a 22-year-old U.S. citizen, was concealing two packages of heroin with a combined weight of 6.65 pounds on her body. The drugs were valued at almost $116,000.
end
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
AZMEX UPDATE 4-5-16
AZMEX UPDATE 4 MAY 2016
CG area Border Patrol agent almost run down by smuggler
Agent narrowly escaped injury
Posted: Wednesday, May 4, 2016 8:34 am
Staff Reports
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/area_news/cg-area-border-patrol-agent-almost-run-down-by-smuggler/article_c21c09e8-120d-11e6-b349-1f97ebe7ce45.html
CASA GRANDE – A Border Patrol agent narrowly escaped injury after a suspected smuggler made an alleged attempt to run him over at a checkpoint near Casa Grande, authorities said.
Agents working at the Federal Route 15 checkpoint Saturday south of Casa Grande encountered a Dodge pickup truck and referred the driver to a secondary inspection lane after a canine alerted to the vehicle. Instead, the driver ignored the instructions and accelerated directly at the agent, according to a press release.
The agent was able to deploy a spike strip while simultaneously evading the oncoming vehicle, successfully deflating two of the truck's tires. Unfazed, however, the driver continued to flee.
Agents pursued the vehicle for 30 miles on Federal Route 15 on the Tohono O'Odham Indian Nation until other agents deployed a second spike strip, which deflated the remaining two tires. With the truck inoperable, the driver then attempted to evade agents on foot but was immediately apprehended. A subsequent search of the truck uncovered two bales of marijuana, weighing nearly 56 pounds and worth approximately $27,800.
Agents later conducted a biometric records check that identified the driver as a U.S citizen on parole from the Arizona Department of Corrections. The subject is now in custody and faces charges relating to the drugs, assault and ensuing pursuit.
"The agent showed incredible fortitude, maintaining the presence of mind to deploy spike strips in an attempt to prevent the driver from inflicting harm to others," said Tucson Sector Chief Paul Beeson. "The agent's quick thinking and composure reinforces the importance of utilizing safe tactics and the necessity for our agents to remain vigilant at all times."
Recent statistics released by Customs and Border Protection show that Tucson Sector, which includes Pinal County, accounted for more than 20 percent of all assaults on agents recorded by the U.S. Border Patrol in 2015.
END
Human smuggling ring leaders sentenced to 10 years in prison
Navideh Forghani
5:58 PM, May 4, 2016
2 hours ago
http://www.abc15.com/news/region-central-southern-az/other/human-smuggling-ring-leaders-sentenced-to-10-years-in-prison
DOUGLAS, AZ. - The two leaders of a Mexican human smuggling ring were sentenced in federal court on Wednesday.
The group is linked to smuggling hundreds of undocumented immigrants into Arizona from Central America.
Investigators said the extremely dangerous group would pack dozens of migrants into an SUV and actively try to run from law enforcement.
In 2009, investigators said they were responsible for a rollover crash in southern Arizona, in which 27 undocumented immigrants were crammed into an SUV. Ten of the people inside the vehicle were killed.
The head of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Douglas said these groups would constantly try to out run law enforcement.
"Sometimes that resulted in putting the public in danger, law enforcement and even the immigrants in danger. So, our ability to impact that and make the community safer is one of the things I'm most proud of having accomplished," said ASAC Carlos Archuleta, of the HSI Douglas office.
Fidel Mancinas-Franco and Juan Villela-Lopez both received approximately 10 years in prison.
HSI used its partnership with the U.S. Attorney's Office and Board Patrol to help get the smugglers off the streets.
END
Binational operation 'Relámpago Azul' leads to large busts in Mexico
Nogales International Updated 3 hrs ago (0)
http://www.nogalesinternational.com/news/binational-operation-rel-mpago-azul-leads-to-large-busts-in/article_8b98206a-124d-11e6-8981-07e4217d044c.html
Relámpago Azul
Mexican Public Safety Secretariat photo
This haul of $250,000 was confiscated as part Relámpago Azul.
Relámpago Azul
Mexican Public Safety Secretariat photo
Mexican federal police unload boxes from a truck during a bust made as part of the operation Relámpago Azul.
Around 9:30 pm. on Sunday, April 17, Mexican officials arrested a 63-year-old Mexican man for allegedly attempting to smuggle $250,000 through a checkpoint in Nogales, Sonora. Officers inspecting the man's Hyundai SUV with an Arizona license plate found 25 bundles wrapped in black tape stashed in the passenger's side running board, according to local media reports.
Later that week, Mexican federal authorities confiscated more than three-and-a-half tons of marijuana hidden in a tractor-trailer that was parked behind a maquiladora in the San Ramon industrial park. The pot, estimated to weigh more than 3,500 kilograms (7, 716 pounds), were found hidden between hospital equipment and stashed in 307 packages wrapped in tape.
Mexican authorities also inspected several homes and hotels in the Centro and Buenos Aires neighborhoods of Nogales, Sonora, hoping to crack down on human trafficking and organized crime. The searches led to several arrests.
The seizures and arrests were part of a binational operation known in Mexico as "Relámpago Azul," or "Blue Thunder." The two-week operation ran from April 17-30 and involved the Tucson Sector Border Patrol and U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations working in collaboration with several Mexican law enforcement agencies. The effort was called Operation Double Threat on the U.S. side of the border.
"The binational operation shows how the integration of information and mirrored enforcement can further secure our borders," CBP's Tucson Sector Chief Paul Beeson said in the news release. "Our ability to work in a coordinated fashion with our law enforcement partners in Mexico contributes to a safer border environment for us all."
The effort led to 467 arrests and the seizure of 25,000 pounds of marijuana valued at about $12.5 million, according to a news release issued by CBP on Wednesday.
Law enforcement also identified 11 stolen vehicles found in Mexico and seized nearly $16,400 worth of Mexican pesos.
On Friday, a convoy of Mexican federal police vehicles caused a stir when it crossed into the United States at the Mariposa Port of Entry. Sonoran media reported that the convoy was headed to a training session as part of Relámpago Azul, but a CBP spokeswoman declined to comment.
END
CG area Border Patrol agent almost run down by smuggler
Agent narrowly escaped injury
Posted: Wednesday, May 4, 2016 8:34 am
Staff Reports
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/area_news/cg-area-border-patrol-agent-almost-run-down-by-smuggler/article_c21c09e8-120d-11e6-b349-1f97ebe7ce45.html
CASA GRANDE – A Border Patrol agent narrowly escaped injury after a suspected smuggler made an alleged attempt to run him over at a checkpoint near Casa Grande, authorities said.
Agents working at the Federal Route 15 checkpoint Saturday south of Casa Grande encountered a Dodge pickup truck and referred the driver to a secondary inspection lane after a canine alerted to the vehicle. Instead, the driver ignored the instructions and accelerated directly at the agent, according to a press release.
The agent was able to deploy a spike strip while simultaneously evading the oncoming vehicle, successfully deflating two of the truck's tires. Unfazed, however, the driver continued to flee.
Agents pursued the vehicle for 30 miles on Federal Route 15 on the Tohono O'Odham Indian Nation until other agents deployed a second spike strip, which deflated the remaining two tires. With the truck inoperable, the driver then attempted to evade agents on foot but was immediately apprehended. A subsequent search of the truck uncovered two bales of marijuana, weighing nearly 56 pounds and worth approximately $27,800.
Agents later conducted a biometric records check that identified the driver as a U.S citizen on parole from the Arizona Department of Corrections. The subject is now in custody and faces charges relating to the drugs, assault and ensuing pursuit.
"The agent showed incredible fortitude, maintaining the presence of mind to deploy spike strips in an attempt to prevent the driver from inflicting harm to others," said Tucson Sector Chief Paul Beeson. "The agent's quick thinking and composure reinforces the importance of utilizing safe tactics and the necessity for our agents to remain vigilant at all times."
Recent statistics released by Customs and Border Protection show that Tucson Sector, which includes Pinal County, accounted for more than 20 percent of all assaults on agents recorded by the U.S. Border Patrol in 2015.
END
Human smuggling ring leaders sentenced to 10 years in prison
Navideh Forghani
5:58 PM, May 4, 2016
2 hours ago
http://www.abc15.com/news/region-central-southern-az/other/human-smuggling-ring-leaders-sentenced-to-10-years-in-prison
DOUGLAS, AZ. - The two leaders of a Mexican human smuggling ring were sentenced in federal court on Wednesday.
The group is linked to smuggling hundreds of undocumented immigrants into Arizona from Central America.
Investigators said the extremely dangerous group would pack dozens of migrants into an SUV and actively try to run from law enforcement.
In 2009, investigators said they were responsible for a rollover crash in southern Arizona, in which 27 undocumented immigrants were crammed into an SUV. Ten of the people inside the vehicle were killed.
The head of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Douglas said these groups would constantly try to out run law enforcement.
"Sometimes that resulted in putting the public in danger, law enforcement and even the immigrants in danger. So, our ability to impact that and make the community safer is one of the things I'm most proud of having accomplished," said ASAC Carlos Archuleta, of the HSI Douglas office.
Fidel Mancinas-Franco and Juan Villela-Lopez both received approximately 10 years in prison.
HSI used its partnership with the U.S. Attorney's Office and Board Patrol to help get the smugglers off the streets.
END
Binational operation 'Relámpago Azul' leads to large busts in Mexico
Nogales International Updated 3 hrs ago (0)
http://www.nogalesinternational.com/news/binational-operation-rel-mpago-azul-leads-to-large-busts-in/article_8b98206a-124d-11e6-8981-07e4217d044c.html
Relámpago Azul
Mexican Public Safety Secretariat photo
This haul of $250,000 was confiscated as part Relámpago Azul.
Relámpago Azul
Mexican Public Safety Secretariat photo
Mexican federal police unload boxes from a truck during a bust made as part of the operation Relámpago Azul.
Around 9:30 pm. on Sunday, April 17, Mexican officials arrested a 63-year-old Mexican man for allegedly attempting to smuggle $250,000 through a checkpoint in Nogales, Sonora. Officers inspecting the man's Hyundai SUV with an Arizona license plate found 25 bundles wrapped in black tape stashed in the passenger's side running board, according to local media reports.
Later that week, Mexican federal authorities confiscated more than three-and-a-half tons of marijuana hidden in a tractor-trailer that was parked behind a maquiladora in the San Ramon industrial park. The pot, estimated to weigh more than 3,500 kilograms (7, 716 pounds), were found hidden between hospital equipment and stashed in 307 packages wrapped in tape.
Mexican authorities also inspected several homes and hotels in the Centro and Buenos Aires neighborhoods of Nogales, Sonora, hoping to crack down on human trafficking and organized crime. The searches led to several arrests.
The seizures and arrests were part of a binational operation known in Mexico as "Relámpago Azul," or "Blue Thunder." The two-week operation ran from April 17-30 and involved the Tucson Sector Border Patrol and U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations working in collaboration with several Mexican law enforcement agencies. The effort was called Operation Double Threat on the U.S. side of the border.
"The binational operation shows how the integration of information and mirrored enforcement can further secure our borders," CBP's Tucson Sector Chief Paul Beeson said in the news release. "Our ability to work in a coordinated fashion with our law enforcement partners in Mexico contributes to a safer border environment for us all."
The effort led to 467 arrests and the seizure of 25,000 pounds of marijuana valued at about $12.5 million, according to a news release issued by CBP on Wednesday.
Law enforcement also identified 11 stolen vehicles found in Mexico and seized nearly $16,400 worth of Mexican pesos.
On Friday, a convoy of Mexican federal police vehicles caused a stir when it crossed into the United States at the Mariposa Port of Entry. Sonoran media reported that the convoy was headed to a training session as part of Relámpago Azul, but a CBP spokeswoman declined to comment.
END
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
AZMEX UPDATE 3-5-16
AZMEX UPDATE 3 MAY 2016
Yuma residents paying for undocumented immigrants crimes
Posted by Chase Golightly Date: May 02, 2016
YUMA, Ariz.-
http://www.kyma.com/yuma-residents-paying-for-undocumented-immigrants-crimes/
Yuma Sector Border Patrol arrested 21 undocumented immigrants for allegedly smuggling marijuana across the border. However, the Yuma county sheriff's office says local residents will be the ones paying for their crime.
On Thursday April 28th, Wellton Station Border Patrol agents arrested 58 undocumented immigrants. 21 of them were smuggling more than 800 pounds of marijuana in back packs according to Yuma sector border patrol agent Richard Withers.
YCSO says those 21 undocumented immigrants were booked into the Yuma county detention center after the United States Attorney's Office of Arizona refused to prosecute them. Making local taxpayers literally pay for their crime. Alfonso Zavala with YCSO says, "The average is they are in our facility for 100 days costing 78 dollars per day." Zavala says the combined total of all 21 immigrants is costing Yuma taxpayers more than $600,000.
"It's cost is roughly $600,000 on illegal immigrants that cross into the United States, have committed a crime that we have had to fund from our general fund, out of our local taxpayers money because the federal government won't do their job," says Zavala.
Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot has spoke out about the lack of prosecution on undocumented immigrants. Wilmot said in a statement, "When the United States Attorney's Office of Arizona continuously refuses to prosecute illegal immigrants smuggling drugs into our state it places a significant burden on local governments to pick up the cost of prosecuting and incarcerating these criminals."
Zavala says it's the FBI administration in Washington are the ones making the attorneys office not prosecute. "We've sent numerous letters to Washington asking for clarification on why this isn't good so it's not something locally. This is something that is occurring in Washington and is streamlining down that we have no control over."
YCSO says they will continue to detain these immigrants for committing crimes.
"Sheriff Wilmot is committed to the community and he will continue to push forward," says Zavala
end
Note: Folks from the other side of the country doing the job the corrupt Obama regime won't do.
Border Keepers: Alabamians travel 1600 miles to suppress drug trade, illegal immigration
By Brittany Bivins
Published: May 2, 2016, 10:08 pm Updated: May 3, 2016, 8:01 am
http://wiat.com/investigative-story/border-keepers-alabamians-travel-1600-miles-to-suppress-drug-trade-illegal-immigration/
Drug Trade The Fence
Related Coverage
6 days in Arizona with the 'Border Keepers of Alabama'
Border Keepers: What do you do when 'everything is trying to kill you'?
The border between the United States and Mexico is nearly 2,000 miles long. It passes through four states in the US, including California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Along this often remote and hostile line, federal border patrol agents are responsible for ensuring the security of the border on the United States's side.
They face a tough fight. Every year, more than a million pounds of illegal drugs pass over the border from Arizona into the United States. Unlike states like California and Texas, where the majority of illegal activity involves human trafficking, Arizona is ground zero for the war against drug smuggling, according to federal officials.
Drug Trade
Nogales, Arizona is more than 1,600 miles from Birmingham, Ala. In many ways, the two cities are completely different. However, they share one very important problem: they've both been impacted by the trade of illicit drugs, most notably heroin. Last year, heroin-related deaths were up by about 150 percent in Jefferson County, according to law enforcement officials. Heroin has been called an "epidemic" across our state by drug prevention groups. While not all of that product comes from Mexico, a large portion of drugs that make their way to Birmingham have been trafficked from out of the country.
2015 National Drug Threat Assessment Summary
Border Keepers of Alabama
In this way, what happens on the border has had a big impact on Birmingham. The drug trade is part of the catalyst for the creation of the Border Keepers of Alabama. It's a group of a few dozen men and women with the stated goal of preventing drugs and people from passing illegally through the border with Mexico. The organization, which calls itself "BOA" for short, has been met with criticism and praise. Critics call them vigilantes and racists, bent on preventing immigration into the United States. Supporters call them patriots and heroes, intent on doing the job Border Patrol agents have trouble doing alone--enforcing the law.
Border Keepers of AlabamaView as list Open Gallery
Bull
1 of 4
In the past several years, BOA's enrollment has grown. Along with more members, they've expanded their efforts in a big way. Several times a year they run special operations--or "ops"--on the border with Mexico. Between four and ten men usually go on these trips, joining up with dozens of like-minded groups from across the country. They call themselves "three percenters," a reference to the three percent of soon-to-be Americans who fought in the Revolutionary War.
The Border Keepers of Alabama have traditionally focused their attention on Brownsville, Texas, an urban area that has been a hotbed of illegal activity, from human trafficking to drug smuggling. Recently, though, they say Border Patrol in Texas has made running ops through that area very difficult, if not impossible. In April 2016, they shifted gears, sending men for the second time to an op near Nogales, Arizona.
The Camp
CBS42 News followed the group of six Central Alabamians to their camp site, where we accompanied them on day patrols, night watches, and tried to get a better understanding of exactly what is happening on the border. The men did not use their real names, but "call signs," which is how they asked us to refer to them for this report.
They all had different reasons for coming to Arizona on what could be a dangerous mission to patrol the border. One man, whose call sign is "Trigger," told us he's concerned about the drugs coming across the border. "You know, we're all not crazy zealots. Somebody's got to do it, and our government's not doing it, so we've got to answer that call where we can," he said.
The Border Keepers' efforts are not authorized by the federal government, and they are entirely a volunteer organization. In fact, each man must bring his own supplies. They even pay $15 a day for the cost of hot food and water at camp. However, in Arizona, we saw them work with Border Patrol agents, occasionally running ops in conjunction with them.
"You know, we're all not crazy zealots. Somebody's got to do it, and our government's not doing it, so we've got to answer that call where we can," - Trigger
"They're happy we're here. It helps them out," said "Ghost," the Arizona op's commanding officer. He's part of the Three Percent United Patriots of Arizona, and he's the person who coordinates with volunteers from other states.
"It's their party. We just came for the cake," said "Bull," a Central Alabama native who made the trip to Arizona.
The Conditions
The camp itself is set up about two miles from the border. It's in a remote section of the Patagonia Mountains, about an hour's drive south of Tucson and a half hour's trip north of Nogales, Arizona. There's no cell phone signal, no restaurants or hotels nearby. The houses here are few and said to be owned by supporters of the Sinaloa drug cartel, which Border Patrol tells us controls the drug trade through this area.
"Everything out here is trying to kill you," said "Bull."
During the day, the temperature soars to 80 degrees, but at night, it can get below freezing. There are scorpions, snakes and bears that live in the desert surrounding the camp. The biggest danger, though, comes from across the border itself.
The men are told by camp commanders not to fire any weapons, even though they carry them, unless their lives are in danger. If they see a person attempting to cross the border illegally, they're told to let them cross, then try to convince them to sit down and wait until Border Patrol can get to the scene.
"We're not an assault force, we're not here to arrest anybody. We're here to observe and report," said "Doc," who came from North Carolina for the op.
"Everything out here is trying to kill you," - Bull
During the pre-operation meetings, "Ghost" tells the men their assignments. During the day, that can include recon missions and familiarizing themselves with the area and popular crossing locations. By night, they find their posts and wait for illegal activity.
"It's not like we want somebody here that this is the first time they've ever had a gun on their hand or the first time they've been away from their family. We've got to have people here that are level-headed, that have experience," said "Geezer," another Border Keeper from Alabama.
The Fence
"{Donald} Trump talks about building a wall. Well, we're the wall right now," said "Ghost."
That night, the Border Keepers take us to see the fence. With the naked eye, it looks just like any normal fence, the kind that could keep livestock in or coyotes out. There's no marker to indicate it's a national border. The fence is made up of three wooden boards that run horizontally, covered by barbed wire about an inch thick. In some places, the wire is missing.
"{Donald} Trump talks about building a wall. Well, we're the wall right now," - Ghost
"It's shocking. I've seen it with my own eyes. That's originally why I came down. I hear about this, I want to see it," said "Doc."
On our first day with the Border Keepers, they take the forty or so volunteers on a tour of the area. In the middle of the tour, we're told something has happened. Another group patrolling the nearby mountains has found a cache of drugs. They quickly secure and search the area. We're told to wait in the car while armed men cordon off the dirt road. After a few tense minutes, they move on. The group on the mountain has called Border Patrol to catalog, inventory and turn in the drugs. It's a small load, just five pounds of marijuana altogether.
"You know, we come down for ten days, they can't run their drugs down here, so it costs them two or three million dollars. To the cartels, that's nothing. That's $100 to you and me, literally," said "Ghost."
"We're not even probably putting a dent in what the cartels are sending across, but we're setting an example," said "Nashville," who came from Tennessee for this op.
It's this belief that they're making a difference that brings many of these men to camp.
Night Watch
nightfall
That evening, we see the team's first night patrol. They split up into groups of three or four, then stake out strategic locations along the border. They wear all camouflage, carry weapons, and turn off anything that can emit light. A truck drops them off along their designated areas. From there, they crouch in the brush, flatten themselves among trees, and wait for something to see.
Shortly into the watch, we hear the sound of a car engine near the Mexico side of the fence. We can see the vehicle, but we can't hear it. "Bull" tells us this is common for cartel operators. They stake out the area to make sure it's secure and safe before trying to cross over. The vehicle moves away.
Another hour into the patrol, "Bull" points to a group of lights in the distance. He tell us they are drones, that the cartels often use them to watch the fence. He says it's another way the cartels can keep an eye on what's happening on the border.
On this night, we're out until 3 a.m. when the group is picked up by a command vehicle and taken back to camp. It's been a quiet patrol. No drugs or illegal crossing attempts have been reported. They'll wake up the next morning for another day of operations.
END
Yuma residents paying for undocumented immigrants crimes
Posted by Chase Golightly Date: May 02, 2016
YUMA, Ariz.-
http://www.kyma.com/yuma-residents-paying-for-undocumented-immigrants-crimes/
Yuma Sector Border Patrol arrested 21 undocumented immigrants for allegedly smuggling marijuana across the border. However, the Yuma county sheriff's office says local residents will be the ones paying for their crime.
On Thursday April 28th, Wellton Station Border Patrol agents arrested 58 undocumented immigrants. 21 of them were smuggling more than 800 pounds of marijuana in back packs according to Yuma sector border patrol agent Richard Withers.
YCSO says those 21 undocumented immigrants were booked into the Yuma county detention center after the United States Attorney's Office of Arizona refused to prosecute them. Making local taxpayers literally pay for their crime. Alfonso Zavala with YCSO says, "The average is they are in our facility for 100 days costing 78 dollars per day." Zavala says the combined total of all 21 immigrants is costing Yuma taxpayers more than $600,000.
"It's cost is roughly $600,000 on illegal immigrants that cross into the United States, have committed a crime that we have had to fund from our general fund, out of our local taxpayers money because the federal government won't do their job," says Zavala.
Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot has spoke out about the lack of prosecution on undocumented immigrants. Wilmot said in a statement, "When the United States Attorney's Office of Arizona continuously refuses to prosecute illegal immigrants smuggling drugs into our state it places a significant burden on local governments to pick up the cost of prosecuting and incarcerating these criminals."
Zavala says it's the FBI administration in Washington are the ones making the attorneys office not prosecute. "We've sent numerous letters to Washington asking for clarification on why this isn't good so it's not something locally. This is something that is occurring in Washington and is streamlining down that we have no control over."
YCSO says they will continue to detain these immigrants for committing crimes.
"Sheriff Wilmot is committed to the community and he will continue to push forward," says Zavala
end
Note: Folks from the other side of the country doing the job the corrupt Obama regime won't do.
Border Keepers: Alabamians travel 1600 miles to suppress drug trade, illegal immigration
By Brittany Bivins
Published: May 2, 2016, 10:08 pm Updated: May 3, 2016, 8:01 am
http://wiat.com/investigative-story/border-keepers-alabamians-travel-1600-miles-to-suppress-drug-trade-illegal-immigration/
Drug Trade The Fence
Related Coverage
6 days in Arizona with the 'Border Keepers of Alabama'
Border Keepers: What do you do when 'everything is trying to kill you'?
The border between the United States and Mexico is nearly 2,000 miles long. It passes through four states in the US, including California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Along this often remote and hostile line, federal border patrol agents are responsible for ensuring the security of the border on the United States's side.
They face a tough fight. Every year, more than a million pounds of illegal drugs pass over the border from Arizona into the United States. Unlike states like California and Texas, where the majority of illegal activity involves human trafficking, Arizona is ground zero for the war against drug smuggling, according to federal officials.
Drug Trade
Nogales, Arizona is more than 1,600 miles from Birmingham, Ala. In many ways, the two cities are completely different. However, they share one very important problem: they've both been impacted by the trade of illicit drugs, most notably heroin. Last year, heroin-related deaths were up by about 150 percent in Jefferson County, according to law enforcement officials. Heroin has been called an "epidemic" across our state by drug prevention groups. While not all of that product comes from Mexico, a large portion of drugs that make their way to Birmingham have been trafficked from out of the country.
2015 National Drug Threat Assessment Summary
Border Keepers of Alabama
In this way, what happens on the border has had a big impact on Birmingham. The drug trade is part of the catalyst for the creation of the Border Keepers of Alabama. It's a group of a few dozen men and women with the stated goal of preventing drugs and people from passing illegally through the border with Mexico. The organization, which calls itself "BOA" for short, has been met with criticism and praise. Critics call them vigilantes and racists, bent on preventing immigration into the United States. Supporters call them patriots and heroes, intent on doing the job Border Patrol agents have trouble doing alone--enforcing the law.
Border Keepers of AlabamaView as list Open Gallery
Bull
1 of 4
In the past several years, BOA's enrollment has grown. Along with more members, they've expanded their efforts in a big way. Several times a year they run special operations--or "ops"--on the border with Mexico. Between four and ten men usually go on these trips, joining up with dozens of like-minded groups from across the country. They call themselves "three percenters," a reference to the three percent of soon-to-be Americans who fought in the Revolutionary War.
The Border Keepers of Alabama have traditionally focused their attention on Brownsville, Texas, an urban area that has been a hotbed of illegal activity, from human trafficking to drug smuggling. Recently, though, they say Border Patrol in Texas has made running ops through that area very difficult, if not impossible. In April 2016, they shifted gears, sending men for the second time to an op near Nogales, Arizona.
The Camp
CBS42 News followed the group of six Central Alabamians to their camp site, where we accompanied them on day patrols, night watches, and tried to get a better understanding of exactly what is happening on the border. The men did not use their real names, but "call signs," which is how they asked us to refer to them for this report.
They all had different reasons for coming to Arizona on what could be a dangerous mission to patrol the border. One man, whose call sign is "Trigger," told us he's concerned about the drugs coming across the border. "You know, we're all not crazy zealots. Somebody's got to do it, and our government's not doing it, so we've got to answer that call where we can," he said.
The Border Keepers' efforts are not authorized by the federal government, and they are entirely a volunteer organization. In fact, each man must bring his own supplies. They even pay $15 a day for the cost of hot food and water at camp. However, in Arizona, we saw them work with Border Patrol agents, occasionally running ops in conjunction with them.
"You know, we're all not crazy zealots. Somebody's got to do it, and our government's not doing it, so we've got to answer that call where we can," - Trigger
"They're happy we're here. It helps them out," said "Ghost," the Arizona op's commanding officer. He's part of the Three Percent United Patriots of Arizona, and he's the person who coordinates with volunteers from other states.
"It's their party. We just came for the cake," said "Bull," a Central Alabama native who made the trip to Arizona.
The Conditions
The camp itself is set up about two miles from the border. It's in a remote section of the Patagonia Mountains, about an hour's drive south of Tucson and a half hour's trip north of Nogales, Arizona. There's no cell phone signal, no restaurants or hotels nearby. The houses here are few and said to be owned by supporters of the Sinaloa drug cartel, which Border Patrol tells us controls the drug trade through this area.
"Everything out here is trying to kill you," said "Bull."
During the day, the temperature soars to 80 degrees, but at night, it can get below freezing. There are scorpions, snakes and bears that live in the desert surrounding the camp. The biggest danger, though, comes from across the border itself.
The men are told by camp commanders not to fire any weapons, even though they carry them, unless their lives are in danger. If they see a person attempting to cross the border illegally, they're told to let them cross, then try to convince them to sit down and wait until Border Patrol can get to the scene.
"We're not an assault force, we're not here to arrest anybody. We're here to observe and report," said "Doc," who came from North Carolina for the op.
"Everything out here is trying to kill you," - Bull
During the pre-operation meetings, "Ghost" tells the men their assignments. During the day, that can include recon missions and familiarizing themselves with the area and popular crossing locations. By night, they find their posts and wait for illegal activity.
"It's not like we want somebody here that this is the first time they've ever had a gun on their hand or the first time they've been away from their family. We've got to have people here that are level-headed, that have experience," said "Geezer," another Border Keeper from Alabama.
The Fence
"{Donald} Trump talks about building a wall. Well, we're the wall right now," said "Ghost."
That night, the Border Keepers take us to see the fence. With the naked eye, it looks just like any normal fence, the kind that could keep livestock in or coyotes out. There's no marker to indicate it's a national border. The fence is made up of three wooden boards that run horizontally, covered by barbed wire about an inch thick. In some places, the wire is missing.
"{Donald} Trump talks about building a wall. Well, we're the wall right now," - Ghost
"It's shocking. I've seen it with my own eyes. That's originally why I came down. I hear about this, I want to see it," said "Doc."
On our first day with the Border Keepers, they take the forty or so volunteers on a tour of the area. In the middle of the tour, we're told something has happened. Another group patrolling the nearby mountains has found a cache of drugs. They quickly secure and search the area. We're told to wait in the car while armed men cordon off the dirt road. After a few tense minutes, they move on. The group on the mountain has called Border Patrol to catalog, inventory and turn in the drugs. It's a small load, just five pounds of marijuana altogether.
"You know, we come down for ten days, they can't run their drugs down here, so it costs them two or three million dollars. To the cartels, that's nothing. That's $100 to you and me, literally," said "Ghost."
"We're not even probably putting a dent in what the cartels are sending across, but we're setting an example," said "Nashville," who came from Tennessee for this op.
It's this belief that they're making a difference that brings many of these men to camp.
Night Watch
nightfall
That evening, we see the team's first night patrol. They split up into groups of three or four, then stake out strategic locations along the border. They wear all camouflage, carry weapons, and turn off anything that can emit light. A truck drops them off along their designated areas. From there, they crouch in the brush, flatten themselves among trees, and wait for something to see.
Shortly into the watch, we hear the sound of a car engine near the Mexico side of the fence. We can see the vehicle, but we can't hear it. "Bull" tells us this is common for cartel operators. They stake out the area to make sure it's secure and safe before trying to cross over. The vehicle moves away.
Another hour into the patrol, "Bull" points to a group of lights in the distance. He tell us they are drones, that the cartels often use them to watch the fence. He says it's another way the cartels can keep an eye on what's happening on the border.
On this night, we're out until 3 a.m. when the group is picked up by a command vehicle and taken back to camp. It's been a quiet patrol. No drugs or illegal crossing attempts have been reported. They'll wake up the next morning for another day of operations.
END
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