Ya can't make this stuff up...
Posted on 10/13/2006 11:23:24 PM PDT by EternalVigilance
Reports of an elephant crossing the river or people trying to smuggle an elephant across were rampant Tuesday while an elaborate political stunt was taking shape near the mouth of the Rio Grande.
It was a while later that the stunt, which was a photo shoot, was abruptly met by federal agents.
“The elephant never made landfall into Mexico, but I tell you something, he could have made 15 laps back and forth, but no one showed up,” said Raj Peter Bhakta, a former star on the NBC show “The Apprentice,” who also is a Republican candidate for the 13th District U.S. House of Representatives seat in Eastern Pennsylvania.
Three elephants, two African and an Asian, were taken out to a ranch near Boca Chica beach to perform, the 31-year-old Bhakta said.
He was in Brownsville to raise funds with friends and decided to get a first-hand look at border security while he was here, he said.
In Brownsville, he witnessed half a dozen men swim under one of the international bridges “with complete immunity” which in turn prompted him to take the immigration issue to the next level.
Bhakta decided to see if he could get an elephant accompanied by a six-piece mariachi band across the river.
According to his Web site, he is in favor of “sensible immigration reform” and supports a border fence, local law enforcement assistance with immigration laws and the use of the National Guard troops to help the U.S. Border Patrol.
“To my surprise, the band played on, the elephants splashed away, and nobody showed up,” Bhakta said of the stunt. “I’m astounded.”
The elephants came from Shrine Circuses, said James Plunkett, who produces the circus. They arrived in Brownsville on Monday and were scheduled to be on their way to Maybank on Tuesday afternoon. The elephants and the crew were at the Rio Grande for less than an hour, Plunkett said.
Plunkett said he and his crew were hired for a “photo shoot” and entered the Boca Chica beach area without any notice from the Border Patrol. However, when it became clear that the elephants were in a quarantined area, the Border Patrol alerted the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the elephants had to be detained.
The animals needed to be sprayed for ticks.
Rumors made their way around town and back to Plunkett and his crew, he said.
“We were hearing all kinds of crazy stuff ourselves,” Plunkett said.
Someone reported to the Border Patrol that people were smuggling elephants, he said.
Bhakta was getting on a plane Tuesday afternoon shortly after the USDA released the elephants and they began their journey back to Maybank.
He said he was “staggered” by what happened on Tuesday and was planning on sharing the story with his potential constituents.
“If I can get an elephant led by a mariachi band into this country, I think Osama bin Laden could get across with all the weapons of mass destruction he could get into this country,” Bhakta said.
The mariachi band was not immediately available for comment.
sicalderon@brownsvilleherald.com
Ya can't make this stuff up...
What a clever way to highlight the problem. Kudos to this guy.
LBT
-=-=-
HEH
Rush talked about this today
LOL! Heard about this on the radio today. Brilliant. Hilarious. A bit frightening. A definite eye opener.
I read about this yesterday! Maybe it was in our newspaper. That would be Matamoros across from Brownsville.
A real panic!
Where is Herb Alpert when we need him now?
Wonder how old Herb Alpert is by now?
A guy just passed on in the West Indies at 126
He was recently still going out dancing
--
Hard to imagine Herb Alpert today
We live in those memories sometimes
--
126 yrs old and still dancing. WOW.
The US Coast Guard just reported 47 Cubans made it across the Rio Grande into Texas in a bright yellow Ford Pinto hatchback
Breaking......
Common devolve, you are kidding me! Friday the 13th is over!
Thumbs, Pintos, I'm heading for bed, lol.
Drudge has his siren up
Herb Alpert is now 71 years old. His last record was made in 1999. He spends a lot of his time painting and has produced a few (theatrical) shows on Broadway.
We saw this on BOR last night.
Excellent!
Kudos to Bhakta!
Herb is having "A Taste of Honey" now, huh? Thanks for info.
The mariachi band was the perfect touch.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.