That does fit a working theory in that many here believe that landowners who live on the border are being paid by the Cartels, hence their refusal to support a wall...likewise they also know that if the publicly press for a wall, they may not see their kids again. Hence they’re compromised.
Really no different than Muslim women insisting on their ‘right’ to wear a Burka and supporting FGM and Sharia...there’s no way to know if they really feel that way (which is highly unlikely)...or they know that they better ‘properly’ answer the questions being posed - or else.
Cash talks if there’s enough.....then just make a well maked path through your property.
In parts of TX where the border crime has always been serious and the people who live there say there is no problem everything is fine I have thought they were bought. The Border Patrol recently plastered the country over there with a toll free number to report suspicious activity anonymously. No rewards are offered, no info is taken from caller. I have noticed they are making some large busts over there since then. I am going to say many of the people there are not paid off but scared.
We report things, but we are careful who we report to. We have been lucky enough to trust trustworthy people and not had an issue. We do not randomly call and make a report, we report to agents we have built a relationship with. It is not only that the cartels will retaliate but there are also dirty LEOs of every agency and people working in their offices that have been found to be working for cartel.
Most ranchers do report things, but if they trust the wrong person then they are burned. If we the people demand a secure border, and there is enough of us, then things will change. Until then we all have to live here as we say when asked why we don’t do this or that. ]
Many are talking to the media to get word out about what goes on here. So far most of the articles have been pretty fair. I do not trust the media and will not talk to them. I do what I can to get word out, but not going to be interviewed by some goofy left reporter that will twist my words.
I can promise you all of these people gave an in depth interview about all the border issues here, and fear was mentioned as only one issue of many. This reporter zeroed in on the one thing- fear. That may be good, but not a representation of what the people talked about when they talked about a lot of stuff. As you read this take it in the context. These are people who have had friends and neighbors kidnapped and murdered. They still live here, they are still fighting for this border.
The cartels control the entire border on the Mexican side. If anyone stands up to them the whole family is murdered. I would argue the cartels own pockets along the border on the US side. If we don’t get control of this border the cartels will. That is a fact.
And there are more than a few down there that close property to Border Patrol access. They cannot prevent USBP walking out there, but they do have the right to not allow horses, Jeeps or ATVs out there.
They get paid to close off USBP vehicle access, and to simply “not see anything” when they look out the window. The agents are welcome to walk 8 miles across the property. Talk to any agents you find down there, you’ll hear some stories.
There is an assumption by some that every landowner on our side of the border is ok. Some are as dirty as anyone on the other side of the fence.