Posted on 08/16/2005 2:04:35 PM PDT by 4.1O dana super trac pak
Traffickers of people and drugs have become progressively more violent, said Michael Gramley, Yuma sector Border Patrol public relations officer.
And last weekend was no exception.
Yuma-area Border Patrol agents and San Luis, Ariz., police were shot at, hit with rocks and nearly rammed with a vehicle during a weekend of violence and mayhem.
An agent was injured Sunday at about 10:30 p.m. when he was struck in the back of the head with a rock. Agents were attempting to apprehend a group of 17 suspected illegal aliens near the San Luis, Ariz., sewer plant, according to the Border Patrol.
The injured agent sustained a large laceration, and was transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center, where he was treated and released. The 17 people escaped into Mexico.
Gramley said the agent's injuries could easily have been much more serious.
"We were very fortunate that none of the agents were critically injured," he said.
Agents used a PepperBall launching system to shoot at the rock throwers. Gramley said the PepperBalls can be fired farther than most people can throw rocks, so it's helpful as a deterrent against people who are displaying aggressive behavior.
"It is not a replacement for deadly force," Gramley said. "If someone has a rock large enough to cause death, an agent can justify deadly force."
About an hour later, two would-be illegal immigrants were injured when San Luis, Ariz., police officers fired at an alien-smuggling minivan that was headed toward Mexico while fleeing Border Patrol.
"Agents on the scene said all of the shots came from the police officers," Gramley said.
The driver of the minivan allegedly swerved to try to hit one of the officers at the port of entry, shortly before midnight, Gramley said. Mexican police are still searching for the driver.
The vehicle was traveling about 70 mph when it attempted to run down an officer, at which point officers opened fire, according to a San Luis Police Department news release.
The minivan missed the officer and the vehicle continued to San Luis Rio Colorado, Son.
The two San Luis, Ariz., police officers involved in the incident are on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into their conduct.
San Luis police spokesman Johnny Vidrio said the investigation is standard procedure. He said placing the officers on leave doesn't mean they did anything wrong.
San Luis Rio Colorado sub-chief Jesus Zamora said the minivan was carrying between eight and 11 passengers at the time of the incident. The passengers were all Mexican nationals and were lying down in the van so as not to be seen.
Zamora said one of injured person was hospitalized with bullets in his buttocks early Monday morning and was released into police custody later that day. The other person was shot in the thorax and is still in the hospital in stable condition.
Zamora said the police have three of the people involved in the incident in custody.
Gramley said agents have noticed that smugglers of people and drugs have become more violent.
"They've become more assaultive with rocks in San Luis and with vehicles in the desert east of San Luis where they typically drive from Mexico to the United States," Gramley said.
These smugglers are often also carrying firearms, Gramley said.
El Centro sector Border Patrol public information officer Miguel Hernandez said smugglers are earning between $1,500 and $2,000 to bring someone across the border.
For them to successfully bring just one person across means a large sum of money, he said.
"People are becoming more desperate and they will do whatever it takes," he said.
At 2:30 a.m. Sunday, agents saw a subject wielding a butcher's knife jump the border fence below Friendship Park in San Luis and illegally cross the border.
Agents notified San Luis police, and the man eventually fled to Mexico.
At 5:55 a.m. Saturday, agents attempted to apprehend a group of illegal aliens near County 22nd Street and the Salinity Canal in San Luis.
As one of the agents drove into the area, a man suddenly appeared on the other side of the canal and fired five shots from a .22 caliber rifle at the agent, according to a release.
The agent sought cover as he returned fire. No one was hit, and the shooter fled.
"It was a very short distance for somebody to be shooting at him with a rifle," Gramley said. "It was a suspected alien smuggler who was trying to get us away from his group."
Many of the illegal aliens in the group were apprehended, Gramley said.
Soon after that incident, a Border Patrol aircraft observed a green Ford Explorer driving into the U.S. from Mexico east of San Luis near Avenue 3E.
The pilot observed large bundles in the rear of the vehicle that were suspected narcotics.
Near County 17th Street, agents converged on the Explorer and it turned back to Mexico.
Nearing the border, the driver revved the engine and swerved toward an agent on foot. The agent fired three rounds from his pistol at the driver as another agent fired with a rifle.
"We haven't had shootings in awhile, and then we had two in about a half hour," Gramley said.
The Explorer missed the agent on foot and continued into Mexico, where it stopped along Highway 2.
Officers from the Mexican Highway Patrol took custody of the vehicle, which they reported contained 205 kilograms of marijuana.
No one was found in the vehicle.
Officers reported finding bullet holes and blood. The FBI is investigating both of these shooting incidents.
Also, the Border Patrol is still investigating a shooting that occurred at the El Centro Border Patrol Station early Saturday morning.
At approximately 3:20 a.m., two U.S. Border Patrol agents who were standing outside the building said they heard three shots fired.
No one was hurt in the incident, but one of the shots fired hit the boot scraper, which agents use to clean their boots off during the rainy season, Hernandez said.
Agents searched the surrounding area after the shooting and were able to find a bullet, but no other evidence, Hernandez said.
"We don't know where the bullet came from or if they were targeting the agents," Hernandez said.
Gramley said it is difficult to predict whether this sort of violence will continue. He said as more agents are assigned to the Yuma sector, the area will become more safe.
"I was surprised to see the volume of incidents," Gramley said.
I sure hope the WHITE HOUSE IS REAL PROUD OF ITSELF...AND ITS AGENDA.
That's a nice wall. All it needs is some concertina wire across the top.
Some old news....
Now that's a wall. Who built that one?
Citizens of our country are being fired upon from across the border. I wonder how long it will take them to realize that this is a war...?
Israel. No doubt with help from all the foreign aid we give them - so why can't we spend similar $$ here to build the same thing??
With the actions listed above in this article, I'd say not long.
Shot in the thorax? What is he....... a wetback or a friggin' army ant?
Unbelievable! Can you imagine the outcry from Mexico, AND our own government if anyone in the MMP did anything like this?
Where is the outrage?
ping
Payday came early for the MHP. Tomorrow they'll be the ones trying to sell it across the border.
Where is the outrage?
At the ranch in Crawford? /sarc
Where is the outrage?
------
Our governments (federal mainly) are ignoring the entire mess THEY CREATED. Outrage? The only outrage that is finally building is within REAL AMERICAN CITIZENS -- they are the ONLY people that care about this travesty upon our country.
Makes me mad and sick...
Remember the Berlin wall.
Of course that was to keep people "in" Russia, not to keep people out of Russia. I mean the USSR is on the most desired vacation spots. /sarcasm
Excuse me, but if they're in Arizona they're ILLEGAL, period.
After reading another post today about a teen (woman - she's 18) getting a measly $250 fine for smuggling two illegals, it's no wonder there's so many coyotes. She was paid $1000 so minus her fine, she's ahead $750. Not bad for an afternoon's work.
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