Border plants to be killed to reveal smugglers

Houston Chronicle ^ | 3/24/09 | DANE SCHILLER

[laotzu]

The U.S. Border Patrol plans to poison the plant life along a 1.1-mile stretch of the Rio Grande riverbank as soon as Wednesday to get rid of the hiding places used by smugglers, robbers and illegal immigrants.

Although Border Patrol and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials say the chemical is safe for animals, detractors say the experiment is reminiscent of the Vietnam War-era Agent Orange chemical program and raises questions about long-term effects.

“We don’t believe that is even moral,” said Jay Johnson-Castro Sr., executive director of the Rio Grande International Study Center.

Border Patrol agent Roque Sarinana said the pilot project aims to find the most efficient way to keep agents safer and better protect the nation’s border. “We are trying to improve our mobility and visibility up and down the river,” Sarinana said.

Criminals have grown adept at using the dense foliage to elude capture, he said.

“They can come over almost undetected,” he said.

Members of the Laredo City Council have raised concerns about the spraying program and called on Mexico President Felipe Calderon to intervene.

[laotzu]

If illegals must come here looking for jobs, put them to work doing this.

[mgc1122]

Napalm works as well ... and without long term chemical residue.

[stevie_d_64]

All that old surplus Agent Orange needs to be used somewhere...

[SumProVita]

Lol.....Yep! And it would need to be repeated...

[sofaman]

OMG! That’s terrible! What about the Texas Horned Toad?! Have we no shame?!(/s)

[SueRae]

That will be real effective on the tunnels. /sar/

[bcsco]

Oh, the Greens are going to have a field day with this. One of the issues about the fence is how it would impact animal life in the vicinity. And this on Obama’s watch? Mercy!

[PzLdr]

I’m with Johnson-Castro on this. Use landmines.

[Owl_Eagle]

“We don’t believe that is even moral,” said Jay Johnson-Castro Sr., executive director of the Rio Grande International Study Center.

Jesus Jones MAN!!!

It's a friggin' PLANT!

I'll argue 'till the cows come home that ANIMALS don't have souls. You think there's some moral implication to killing plants???

"Killing" plants is merely ending a chemical reaction that only God can start. It's not taking of a life.

Where do they dig these people up?

[Tarpon]

Where’s the fence?

[Birch T. Barlow]

How about adding poison oak, stinging nettles and ticks to the folliage?

[Moonman62]

Round Up isn’t Agent Orange is it?

[Moonman62]

“We don’t believe that is even moral,” said Jay Johnson-Castro Sr., executive director of the Rio Grande International Study Center.

Think about it. How did he get a name like Johnson-Castro? Did he marry one of Fidel's male relatives in San Francisco?

[gieriscm]

Pyracantha (aka fire thorn bush) would be my suggestion.

[WOBBLY BOB]

replace it all with thistle, poison oak and a nifty mine field.

[Born Conservative]

How about adding poison oak, stinging nettles and ticks to the folliage?

Then we'll have to pay for their ER visits once they get across.

[bikerman]

Great idea or put a Greeny or tree hugger behind each growth to watch for trespassers.

[Cheetahcat]

Maybe one day some real men will take over and stop playing with these people.

[Charlespg]

I have to agree with the greens on this It's a stupid idea
spraying large amounts of chemicals like this in the wild is iffy at best.

Bushhog the stuff and put up a fence

[sunny48]

I like the way you think;)

[fredhead]

Napalm. On a regular basis. Will keep the foilage down, and take care of any illegals that just happen to be hiding there.

“I love the smell of napalm in the morning!!”

[Cheetahcat]

“I like the way you think;)”

Thank You.

[bgill]

How about adding poison oak, stinging nettles and ticks to the folliage

Then we'll have to pay for their ER visits once they get across.

Then our courts will award them the ranches it's planted on.

[bcsco]

I have to agree with the greens on this It's a stupid idea spraying large amounts of chemicals like this in the wild is iffy at best.

I agree. My point was the irony of this coming during Obama's reign. The Greens thought the fence was a bad idea. Now this? I'm curious exactly what their reaction will be...

[dalereed]

Poison everything for 100 yards for thr entire length of the border!

[GSWarrior]

This is just another sad example of man’s inhumanity to plants.

[Vaduz]

The U.S. Border Patrol plans to poison water stations the libs have placed along the border,should work just fine.

[Sarajevo]

LOL! That’s plain evil, (and I like it)!

[HiJinx]

Ping!

[American in Israel]

No problem, Obama’s new Service Army can pull the weeds by hand. Put the SA to Work I say! Draft college students into forced, er, almost voluntary labor to serve their new Massa!

[Vigilanteman]

Nah, let's just substitute cheap vodka for the water at these stations. It keeps better in the heat. Alcohol speeds dehydration. And drunks are easier to chase.