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Posted on 06/14/2002 5:12:11 PM PDT by Shermy
SAN DIEGO -- Eight illegal immigrants were wounded when a sport utility vehicle carrying 23 people was fired upon in a remote desert wash in northern Mexico and again after it had crossed over the border into the United States, authorities said Friday.
Officials in Mexico and the United States are investigating a claim by at least one of the victims that it may have been a Mexican military unit that fired on the SUV in Mexico, said Sgt. Manuel Garcia of the Imperial County Sheriff's Department.
The immigrants from Mexico and Central America were attempting to cross illegally into the United States when their Chevrolet Suburban was struck with bullets from what appeared to be a large-caliber weapon about 12:30 a.m. Friday, Garcia said.
Border Patrol agents came across the immigrants shortly after the shooting on a dirt road about 75 yards north of the international boundary in the desert about 100 miles east of San Diego.
"They were in a panic," Garcia said. "Thank God the Border Patrol was so close."
Three of the immigrants remained hospitalized Friday afternoon, including two who had been taken by helicopter to San Diego because of the severity of their injuries, said Border Patrol Agent Dionicio Delgado. They were listed in stable condition, he said.
All of those injured were men. Among those inside the van were six women and one young child.
The immigrants told authorities they came upon a second vehicle that at least one of them said may have been a Jeep or Humvee military-style vehicle, Garcia said.
Both vehicles had their headlights off when they first encountered each other in a desert wash on the Mexican side of the border. The immigrants sped off when the headlights in the second vehicle suddenly came on. A short lime later, they were hit with the first burst of gunfire.
It appears that the immigrants were fired upon again after they had crossed into the United States. But by analyzing tire tracks, authorities determined that the second vehicle did not cross the border, Garcia said.
U.S. authorities have contacted the Mexican attorney general's office to request assistance with the investigation, he said.
The Mexican Consulate in the Imperial Valley did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
Raul Ramirez Baena, the human rights ombudsman for the border state of Baja California, Mexico, said his agency had received a report that the Mexican Army was involved in the shooting and investigators planned to interview the victims when they returned to Mexico.
I think Fox is giving it his best, but big ships turn slowly.
Great, so the American taxpayer gets stuck with the medical bills. These injured illegal aliens should have been flown or driven to a Tijuana hospital for treatment.
These people are ILLEGAL and ALIENS NOT immigrants.
Calling these people immigrants demeans all those who have to wait years through the legal process so they can enter the country and settle here legaly so that their children can become americanized and integrate into society.
It is more than a rumor. Eight or nine years ago I saw a Border Patrol internal memo that was given to all the agents, stating that the bounty was $20,000.00, several agents have told me that it has been raised to $200,000.00.
These incidents with the Federales crossing the border have been occuring for years, they have not been reported by the press, most incidents don't even make the news here near the border.
Who is making that call?
I predict this border war just heating up, and soon Bush and the mainstream media will not be able to run damage control for Mexico
Illegal aliens and our Border Patrol is the hero in the story.
Down is up.
Black is white.
Bad is good.
Illegal aliens and our Border Patrol is the hero in the story.
Really. It should read "They were in a panic," Garcia said. "when they realized border patrol was so close."
Instead they're good buddies.
Could also be that it was one gang of drug dealers firing at a rival gang. Or maybe they didn't pay off the Mexican military.
In any case, the wounded should have been shipped to facilities across the border. Now there's more potential for lawsuits aginst us. For not having provided protection for these criminals. For not having given them proper medical care should any of them have any lingering ailments. For not making it easy to cross the border.
The media can't make up its mind. One week it's immigrants, the next it's migrants, or maybe undocumented worker. Anything but what they are: illegal aliens.
They're enemy invaders, even if Bush would like to have them as Republican voters.
-archy-/-
There are only two logical reason for Mexican troops to fire on a vehicle going north.
First, the Mexicans mistook the vehicle for a US Boarder Patrol vehicle that had strayed into Mexico.
Second, and more likely, an internal dispute over "fees" between the Mexican Army and a local coyote.
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