Posted on 02/24/2005 12:42:44 PM PST by WindOracle
Former Mexican soldiers, police and federal agents, originally trained as an elite force of anti-drug commandos, are working as mercenaries for Mexican narcotics traffickers, bringing a new wave of drug-related killings into the United States, authorities said.
Law-enforcement and intelligence officials said the well-armed gang, known as the "Zetas," is linked to hundreds of killings and dozens of kidnappings on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, particularly over a wide area of southeastern Texas from Laredo to Brownsville and in cities throughout Mexico.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
I'm sure there is a limit to what we should do to secure the border, but I don't think an anti-personnel mine field 700 meters deep (on both side of the border) goes passed the limit.
"If true, it suggests the Mexican cartels' paramilitary forces already are operating within the United States,"
"Snipers working as lookouts for drug traffickers were targeting Border Patrol agents from vantage points across the U.S.-Mexico border. Agents assigned to the Douglas station in Arizona's southeastern corner were fired at on at least six occasions."
"27 U.S. citizens have been abducted along the border in the past six months, two of whom were killed."
NOW can we redeploy the National Guard to guard our nation? How much more of this are we supposed to take?
BTTT
Dang. I had the BP Tucson Sector Commander (Michael Nicely) available last night and didn't even think to bring up the question of how long he thinks it will be before one of his agents gets shot.
The bulk of the Town Hall meeting focused on the Minutemen, and he reiterated his opposition to what he sees as amateurs coming down here to 'help' the Border Patrol.
After the meeting, he said he loves getting out to talk with us and appreciates the help the locals are giving his agents. It just scares him to death to have a third unknown element introduced into the mix down here. We're all going to need to walk on eggshells for awhile...
A bunch of well-meaning, mostly law abiding, maybe a little less than well trained Americans scares him more than heavily armed paramilitary units operating for major drug trafficking gangs?
Not trying to put words in your mouth here, but it seems odd that Nicely would view things that way on his own - which I don't doubt. He should have brought up the subject of the Zetas on his own without prompting. Somehow I really can't remember the last time foreign and hostile military groups operated on U.S. soil with impunity. You'd think that might be rather central to his thoughts lately.
I left South Texas about three months ago. At that time I was hearing rumors. The rumors have now become fact.
This situation is deteriorating rapidly, and if we don't close off that border a lot of innocent people are going to be killed.
If we needed any more justification for a wall, this is it.
If we needed another excuse for our military to patrol our border with orders to shoot to kill, we've got it.
Some good points. It is time to close the damn border!
Once again, my apologies.
...when their's blood (yours and mine) running in the streets after we endure M.Law?
Did anyone happen to catch Catherine Crier today? She was scheduled to discuss the border problem - just wondering what slant she took.
And the KongressKritters are still Willfully Derelict in the Performance of their Sworn Duties.
There are those on this forum that will insist that deploying the NG for such duty violates the Posse Comitatus Act, but they're either ignorant or lying. (If the former, hopefully they learned their lesson yesterday).
Border enforcement is currently defined as a LAW ENFORCEMENT mission, and a federalized National Guard is a MILITARY entity.
Congress would have to give explicit approval for the mission.
And, if you got your way...you would have succeeded in crippling thew ability of the US Army to project power overseas. There are many foreign countries and terrorist organizations who would be willing to pay a LOT of money to bring that about, good sir.
Damn right. They could, they should, and if the (vast majority of) the American people have a say in the matter, they eventually will.
And, if you got your way...you would have succeeded in crippling thew ability of the US Army to project power overseas.
BS, Poob. I'm not advocating we use Army troops, just NG. .....In addition to significantly beefing up the Border Patrol.
There are many foreign countries and terrorist organizations who would be willing to pay a LOT of money to bring that about
You don't think Islamist terrorist orgs are actively trying (and often succeeding) to penetrate our own borders? Think again.
I know you ae interested in South Texas so I'll pass some information to you. Yesterday, KURV radio station announced that the border patrol had apprehended a man from South America at the Falfurous check point. This man is wanted in SA for bombing a bus and killing 28 people. He is a gang member that has ties with Al Queda.
This man evidently used the back roads around the Falfuros check point and took a wrong turn. He was traveling south and realized his mistake. He then made a u-turn and was probably on the one way part of the highway going the wrong way. The BP spotted this. They decided to check him out.
I haven't seen this in the news yet but marine inspector is aware of this, so it is true.
I've been through that Fal checkpoint a hundred times.
I really didn't know there was any backroads around it, and I've traveled a bunch of backroads around there.
I know they've tightened down a bunch at Falfurrias. Where it used to take me five minutes max to get through, the last time I went through took twenty minutes. I like that.
I'm glad they caught that POS. I've been hearing rumors for months that the gangs and the terrorists have joined forces.
The gangs supply the terrorists with drug money, and the terrorists supply the gangs with arms.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-briefs24.6feb24,1,2957366.story?coll=la-headlines-world
IN BRIEF / HONDURAS
Suspect in Bus Massacre Is Captured in Texas
From Times Wire Reports
February 24, 2005
A man wanted by the Honduran government in connection with a bus massacre that killed 28 people has been arrested in Texas, the Homeland Security Department said in Washington.
Authorities described the man, Ever Anibal Rivera Paz, who also goes by the name Franklin Jairo Rivera-Hernandez, as the reputed leader of the Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, gang in Honduras.
Rivera Paz was arrested Feb. 10 by the Texas Highway Patrol about 100 miles north of the U.S.-Mexican border. He is in federal custody.
Thanks for the link. However, our local radio station said that the BP arrested him as he was driving south and made a u-turn before the Falfurrias check point. He was already on the north side of the check point.
TC. Thanks for the spelling of Falfurrias as I just couldn't remember the spelling when I posted to you.
He is one of the more dangerous people we are letting in this country.
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