Violent Border Smugglers Scare U.S. Scientists

AP ^ | 30 Dec 2007 | AP

[BGHater]

PHOENIX —Biologist Karen Krebbs used to study bats in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument on the Arizona-Mexico border. Then, she got tired of dodging drug smugglers all night.

"I use night-vision goggles, and you could see them very clearly" — caravans of men with guns and huge backpacks full of drugs, trudging through the desert, Krebbs said. After her 10th or 11th time hiding in bushes and behind rocks, she abandoned her research.

"I'm just not willing to risk my neck anymore," she said.

Across the southwestern U.S. border and in northern Mexico, scientists such as Krebbs say their work is increasingly threatened by smugglers as tighter border security pushes trafficking into the most remote areas where botanists, zoologists and geologists do their research.

"In the last year, it's gotten much worse," said Jack Childs, who uses infrared cameras to study endangered jaguars in eastern Arizona. He loses one or two of the cameras every month to smugglers.

Scientists, especially those working on the Mexican side of the border, have long shared the wilderness with marijuana growers and immigrants trying to enter the United States illegally. But tension is rising because of crackdowns on smugglers by the Mexican military, increased vigilance in the Caribbean Sea, new border fences, air patrols, a buildup of U.S. Border Patrol agents and a turf war between cartels.

Smugglers are increasingly jealous of their smuggling routes and less tolerant of scientists poking around, researchers say.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument stopped granting most new research permits in January because of increasing smuggling activity. Scientists must sign a statement acknowledging that the National Park Service cannot guarantee their safety from "potentially dangerous persons entering the park from Mexico."

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Bring back flame throwers.

[chaos_5]

Across the southwestern U.S. border and in northern Mexico, scientists such as Krebbs say their work is increasingly threatened by smugglers as tighter border security pushes trafficking into the most remote areas where botanists, zoologists and geologists do their research.

What a load of BS, now it's our fault for trying to secure the border that some scientist is "scared".

[Army Air Corps]

Across the southwestern U.S. border and in northern Mexico, scientists such as Krebbs say their work is increasingly threatened by smugglers as tighter border security pushes trafficking into the most remote areas where botanists, zoologists and geologists do their research.

Imagine that! Criminals follow the path of LEAST resistance and avoid areas where laws are stringently enforced.

[squidly]

There is so much snow tonight, I wouldn’t trust any scumbag to put it past me. Good thing I’ve got a shotgun. And a full load of food.

[Enterprise]

"caravans of men with guns and huge backpacks full of drugs, trudging through the desert"

Should be simple enough to counter. Just round up all the heroes of Ruby Ridge, Waco, and Elian Gonzalez. By golly, they'll teach these ruffians a thing or two.

[robomatik]

"He loses one or two of the cameras every month to smugglers."

you don't take the hippocratic oath to become a scientist!

[The KG9 Kid]

Boy, what would Teddy Roosevelt do?

Give me a President like that.

[Brad from Tennessee]

The Mexican illegal drug trade encompasses marijuana, heroin, Columbian cocaine, methamphetamine, designer drugs, and pharmaceutical narcotics. The estimates I’ve seen range from a gross of $50 to $70 billion a year. An industry that large can afford to buy corridors into the U.S. from Mexico to move its products to market. That is the way it has always been done. A fence may not stop all the drugs being imported from Mexico but it would be a good place to start.

Of course one way to build a fence that can still be bypassed is to install the “virtual fence” being developed by Boeing.

[UCANSEE2]

“Of course one way to build a fence that can still be bypassed is to install the “virtual fence” being developed by Boeing.”

If we do, we should pay Boeing with virtual money.

[COgamer]

How are these scientists able to spot these smugglers, repeatedly, and our government is apparently unable to? They’re forced to sign paperwork saying they might be victims of violent criminals from Mexico? Hello!!! The failure of the administration on this issue is galling. How hard would it be to go to the location this scientist describes and arrest these people?

Is there any justifiable reason at all for this being allowed to continue?

[FreePaul]

Are these scientists ready to call for closing the borders and deporting the illegals? Probably not. The just want “somebody to do something” to make their job easier but don’t interfere with the poor “immigrants.” A lot of other people fear the border smugglers. Why should these whiners be any different.

[pallis]

“How are these scientists able to spot these smugglers, repeatedly, and our government is apparently unable to?”

They look.

[DoughtyOne]

Another Jorge MIA story. So sad...

[ChristianDefender]

That will need some of these men...

[robomatik]

make your own ghillie suit

family fun for a weekend cookout! :)

[Right Wing Assault]

Calling Ross Perot. I hear a giant sucking sound.

It’s the all the drugs being sucked into the US from points south.

[ChristianDefender]

Great. Thanks for the link...