Posted on 11/19/2005 11:25:56 AM PST by dennisw
A marijuana-laden dump truck got stuck in the Rio Grande on Thursday evening in Hudspeth County, leading to a standoff between U.S. law enforcement and what appeared to be the Mexican military, sheriff officials said.
"It's a very serious incident," Hudspeth County Chief Deputy Mike Doyal said.
"We are very fortunate (Thursday) night no one got hurt," Doyal said. "Everyone had the presence of mind not to cause an international incident, or start shooting."
The incident began when Border Patrol agents tried to stop the dump truck on Interstate 10, sheriff's officials said. The truck fled to Mexico in the Neely's Crossing area.
The truck got stuck in the riverbed, and the driver took off running. Agents "started to retrieve the bundles (of marijuana) when the armed subjects appeared," said Agent Ramiro Cordero, a Border Patrol spokesman. The Border Patrol called Hudspeth County sheriff's deputies and Texas state troopers for backup, both agencies confirmed.
Doyal said the truck driver returned with the armed men, including men who arrived in official-looking vehicles with overhead lights and what appeared to be Mexican soldiers in uniform and with military-style rifles.
The Mexican army is used in anti-narcotics operations. Army officials could not be reached for comment.
The standoff ended when the "soldiers" used a bulldozer to pull the dump truck into Mexico, sheriff's officials said.
Doyal said the bulldozer is kept in the area and is suspected of being used to create makeshift paths across the river.
"The 1,850 pounds confiscated (by U.S. authorities) was probably a third of what was in the truck. The rest went into the Mexican side," Doyal said.
Cordero, the Border Patrol spokesman, described the incident as an "armed encounter with drug smugglers" but would not confirm whether the Mexican military was involved. Investigations into the incident continue.
Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com; 546-6102.
Liberalitarians and Hippies hardest hit.
Cheech and Chong waiting with baited breath.
Did the Mexican army perform an armed raid into US territory to gain control of this truck? Sure reads like that.
BTTT
One of these types of incidents is going to blow up some day, and when it does, the U.S. populace is going to be furious that something hasn't been done to prevent this sort of thing.
We're just one itchy trigger finger from melt-down.
Maybe it would have been better if they had.
Pot going INTO Mexico???
aside from that - yet more indications that Mexican legal and military authorities might NOT be interested in law and order and peace between our nations...
Might not havum outnumbered re 308s, but sure as hell do when it comes to 50s...........Reach Out n Touch.....
I'll still watch it when it shows up on cable... brings back 'vague' memories and lot'sa laffs.
If they did then this looks like proof that the Mexican army is involved in border smuggling - not that that should surprise anyone.
Armed Mexican police and/or Mexican military in the US?I'd say that is a serious incident.Do you think this will make the evening news?
The one area which this administration can be faulted is its lack of control over the border. I'm not a tinfoil hatter, but the way in which they completely ignore what's going on down there is hard to explain.
The Mexican army personnel are probably as well trained as a bunch of dogs in a pack.
Well, we should be seeing a report on this incident almost any time in the MSM. < /sarcasm>
You mean the same way the American public was "outraged" when Mexicans went on a high-speed car-hockey spree on California roadways and endangered the lives of American citizens with depraved impunity?
Last I saw, those illegals were rewarded with millions of dollars from our courts when they got the ass-whipping they deserved at the end of the chase.
The American public has the attention span of a puppy on crack. They didn't wake up to the dangers we face on 9/11 and you think a border clash is going to do anything?
Bottom line: it's going to take the loss of an entire American CITY for anyone to even consider doing anything meaningful on an appreciable scale.
The Rio Grande is the border. The river in between the banks is kinda like the 'neutral zone'. The northern bank is US territory, the southern bank is Mexican territory, but right smack dab in the middle is more of an 'either-or'. It sounds like the Mexican Army wanted the pot more than the BP did, and got a bit more creative in their method of retrieving it.
I thought that our Federal Government was here to protect the individual States from being invaded?
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