Posted on 12/26/2012 7:59:09 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
Edited on 12/26/2012 8:17:13 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
ARIVACA, Ariz. -- Just before nightfall, 73-year-old rancher Jim Chilton hikes quickly up and down the hills on his rugged cattle-grazing land south of Tucson, escorting two U.S. Border Patrol agents.
He wants to show them the disturbing discovery he made earlier in the day: a drug-smugglers' camp on his private property. Stacked together under a stand of trees are blankets, jackets, food, water, binoculars and bales of marijuana from Mexico wrapped in burlap. The smugglers, themselves, are nowhere in sight and are believed to have fled the area, which is about 10 miles north of the Mexican border.
"The druggers outrageously use my land at will," said Chilton, who frequently finds evidence of smugglers on his land -- well-worn trails, cut fences, discarded water bottles, clothing and shoes. His home has been burglarized twice and he is constantly on the lookout for armed smuggling groups while he and his employees round up cows on his remote land.
"Can you imagine riding your horse through here on your own land and running into a guy with an AK-47 and 20 or 30 guys behind him dressed in camouflage and carrying drugs?," he asked.
Like living ‘in a no-man’s land’
The land where Chilton raises his cattle covers 50,000 acres south of the small town of Arivaca, Ariz. About five miles of his property runs along the international border, where all that separates Mexico from the United States in most areas there is a four-strand barbed-wire fence. Chilton owns some of the land outright, but leases most it from the state and federal governments for cattle grazing.
He and his wife, Sue Chilton, complain they feel caught in the middle between the Mexican drug and immigrant smugglers and the United States Border Patrol, which the Chiltons and other ranchers accuse of concentrating most of its patrols and checkpoints miles north of the border, far beyond where the ranchers live and work.
"It's like living in a no-man's land.
Might even be a way to make a little money out of it.
Probably something you wouldn't want to refer to the authorities if you chose to do that.
/johnny
The local media (phoenix tv and newspaper) are printing and pushing a story that the Checkpoint in Tubac/Rio Rico is “hurting property values” and most of the residents don’t want it. (MSM straining to think of reasons NOT to enforce our border and sovereignty). This story has made the rounds today on every site. What a disgrace.
(just one example of the same story making the local and national MSM)
http://www.kpho.com/story/20422466/checkpoint-affecting-tubac-rio-rico-home-values
forgot to add “boohoo hoo”. cry me a river. their property values are going to sink if this area becomes more lawless than it already is.
Time to employ the 3 S’s....
He should put up signs in Spanish that says
“Landmines enter at your own risk”
Here is a solution.
Let’s just make the US-Mexican border a gun free zone. Problem solved.
Sounds to me signs with “SNIPER TRAINING AREA” would be nice.
Looks like Ricky and B Racky have the drug cartel pretty well armed and secure. What’s the problem?
I would suggest that something with quick change barrels and brass catcher would be a good idea for this type of hypothetical enterprise.
Why?
Life ain't like TV. Not down in dry scrub country with coyotes with sand or up in the high country with coyotes and snow.
It's not like anyone can hear you shoot out there, and if they do, it's a quiet winter night and they are 15 miles away and have no idea what direction the sound came from.
Besides, if it's bolt action, your brass catcher is your shooting hand.
Life ain't TV. TV ain't real life.
/johnny
You misunderstand. These guys seem to be coming in the jumbo economy pack down there so perhaps something other than a bolt action is indicated.
Think about what type of arm usually has a quick change barrel as a standard feature.
The brass catcher is because ammo isn’t cheap and you might as well reload when you’re done. :P
I don't like full auto. Never did, never will.
I always collect my brass, even .22s. Never know when you might want to recycle.
Of course, the centerfire stuff gets annealed and reloaded.
/johnny
Welcome to Benghazi American Style!
As much as authorities like to tell us how remote, rugged, and inaccessible some of these smuggler routes are (as an excuse for why smugglers can get through) trust me if ranchers do anything to impede them, much lest harm them in any way the authorities will know and prosecute the rancher to the full extent of the law and then some.
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