Posted on 05/04/2007 8:30:19 PM PDT by dvan
Attacks on border agents continue
U.S. Border Patrol agents have been assaulted six times since April in the Calexico area as violence along the international border continues, federal authorities said Thursday.
This latest report follows a March 26 case where a Mexican national allegedly preparing to throw a rock at agents was gunned down and killed by a Border Patrol agent. (See my comments below)
An investigation into that shooting is ongoing, but there was no information Thursday on the status of the investigation.
The latest violence, Border Patrol officials said, came Wednesday when there were two assaults against agents at the New River on the west side of Calexico.
The violence occurred as agents tried to stop two large groups of undocumented immigrants, officials said.
In each group one individual began throwing rocks at agents, officials said, and agents, used nonlethal weapons — pepper ball launching devices — to end the attacks.
In both cases the assailants fled back to Mexico.
“These violent encounters are unfortunately a common occurrence in some of the areas we patrol,” said Carl McClafferty, chief Border Patrol agent for the El Centro Sector.
“Any one of these attacks had the potential to seriously injure or kill one of our agents,” he said.
Another attack occurred April 30 when an assailant threw a large chunk of concrete at an agent patrolling on First Street in Calexico. The concrete smashed the left headlight of the patrol vehicle.
Earlier in the month three other attacks occurred where assailants threw rocks and other objects, including a wine bottle, at agents, striking their vehicles.
Since Oct. 1 there have been 73 attacks against agents, officials said.
Border Patrol officials have said in the past they have seen violence increase on the part of smuggling organizations against agents as it has become more difficult to smuggle drugs and immigrants across the border.
McClafferty said such violence will not stop the agents from their work.
He said agents “will not be deterred from securing our nation’s borders.” DeleteReplyForwardMove...
When agents have been imprisoned for enforcing the laws and defending themselves is it any wonder that the violence has increased? I worked this area for 33 years as a Border Patrolman and Customs officer. I have stated before that the situation here on the border is dnagerous and the morale of the enforcement officers is at an all time low. The same situation appears to be unfolding with our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Rules of Engagement are tilted to the Left.
The stats are wrong. I was assaulted six times just last night if you count each time a rock was thrown. If you count each multiple rocking it was only twice. Multiple rockings/assaults are so numerous and common place that agents don't even to report it when they get hit. It's a like a criminal intifada down here.
In my opinion what is going on today should be considered an act of war by Mexico.
The patrrol is on it’s last legs. The new mass hiring of 6k agents is going to be a disaster.
I believe in shoot first ask questions later. The only way to survive.
What is the most immediate course of action?
Any clear thinking individual would come to the same conclusion.
My opinion: “It was a clean shoot” based on 30+ years as a LEO, particularly when you consider the rules of use of force - escalating in favor of the officer.
It seems that three of the witnesses changed their statements. Of course the US halted the interrogation while the Mexican Government “briefed” the witnesses. Of course US witnesses are not allowed to confer and collaborate to put together a “story”.
I think the 3 should be charged with giving false statements based on their prior statements as contradicted by the BP surveillance video. Such statements are a felony, Title 18 USC, Sec. 1001. So Mr. Bush, the “misdemeanor” of crossing the border resulted in a felony by your “new citizens.”
Mr. Bush, when coupled with false documents, false statements to employers, failure to file income tax returns, or filing fraudulent ones, fraud perpetrated v. Social Welfare Agencies etc... I think the US is capable of deporting ALL illegal aliens, even if you don’t think so. Then again, you weren’t exactly an A student.
But its not going to happen in our lifetime.
No, not with anything resembling our current leadership.
NO KIDDING !!
I think the most immediate course of action would be to stop the mass hiring, raise the standards and focus on quality rather quantity. In short make entry into the BP as difficult as Special Forces.
Ypu need to take a look at the BP pay scale before you come to that conclusion.
LOL
Constitutional crisis, article IV.
I disagree. Let the U.S. Army patrol the border for six months while more BP agents can be hired.
If we were to do that we would have a problem with soldiers smuggling like we do now with the National Guard.
The problem isn’t really manpower. It’s about willpower. In the 50’s Eisnehower was able to encourage one million illegals to go back south and he did it with less than a thousand Border Patrol Agents. Back then the government had the will to enforce immigration law. We have over 11000 agents and we can’t do today what less than a thousand agents did fifty years ago. The government simply doesn’t want to do what is necessary to shut down the border.
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