10 'volunteers' show up to patrol border yesterday

Tucson Citizen ^ | Jan, 6, 2003 | Luke Turf

[JackelopeBreeder]

PALOMINAS - Citizens taking the task of border patrol into their own hands didn't encounter any illegal immigrants yesterday, but the group's founder called the mission a success.

About 10 volunteers showed up to hike along the Mexican border as part of Civil Homeland Defense, the group organized by Tombstone Tumbleweed newspaper owner Chris Simcox, 42. Another six people were on hand, "checking out" the group, they said. Some represented similar groups interested in immigration law enforcement, indicating a potential for collaboration, Simcox said.

[JackelopeBreeder]

Luke Turf's coverage has been fairly balanced, but he missed the real highlight of the weekend.

Chris Simcox and his group came up dry near Palominas, but Glenn Spencer and American Border Patrol came up with several sightings northeast of Douglas and a group of 20-30 who were taken into custody by the Border Patrol. The group included women and children.

Here's hoping Chris doesn't get discouraged. That area is very hard to patrol at ground level. It is criss-crossed with dry washes that provide great concealment for the illegals. I'm sure his presence was noted from the Mexican side and the stories will spread.

[Free the USA]

fyi

[JackelopeBreeder]

I forgot -- if you want to see pictures of the catch northeast of Douglas, go to:

http://www.americanborderpatrol.com/

[Centurion2000]

No one wore a gun on the patrol yesterday.

This is eventually going to cost comeone their life, but then again they DO all have CCW's so maybe the reporters just didn't see them armed.

Either way it's going to invite trouble.

[madfly]

fyi

[JackelopeBreeder]

The required Arizona CCW course is very, very heavy on the legalities. Anyone taking the course is thoroughly indoctrinated on what you legally can and cannot do with a weapon. By the time you complete it, you really know your responsibilities -- and even wonder if you want to carry.

That said, the border is dangerous. Note at the end of the article that the homeowner showed up armed.

[archy]

See the cover story in next month's issue [March, on the newsstands] of Soldier of Fortune Magazine.

-archy-/-

[HiJinx]

From the American Border Patrol web site:

Man, for anyone who knows this corner of Arizona, that is one Hell of an area for women and children to be hiking through. It's 20-30 miles from where they were apprehended to Wilcox and I-10, which was probably their destination for transportation to Phoenix. It was pointed out in another FR posting that Phoenix has become a sort of warehousing and distribution center for illegals.

[JackelopeBreeder]

No lie. That's just a couple of miles away from where Geronimo finally surrendered, and I'd bet the scenery played a part in making him give up.

Worse than that -- the shortest path to I-10 from that point on Highway 80 is at Lordsburg, sixty miles away. Willcox is almost 80 miles away and across even worse country.

[glock rocks]

i'm not familiar with concealed carry in Arizona, but isn't it a freely open carry state any longer?

i remember seeing condition one 1911's openly carried on the street in phoenix years back.

[JackelopeBreeder]

We're still open carry.

[glock rocks]

that brings up an interesting dilemma... would one want to carry a concealed pistol, therefore being perceived as unarmed...

or carry openly, therefore being perceived as a threat (but also vulnerable to distance shots)...

or carry a reach out and touch someone (which in small numbers makes you vulnerable to federalis in force)...

none of it sounds like your basic suburban neighborhood watch, and i don't think i'd really want to go to the party without an AR or better

[4.1O dana super trac pak]

The seed has been planted. Lets hope some far out scary rumors sweep Mexico.

[JackelopeBreeder]

I think everybody involved makes their personal carry decisions based on the situation.

Fox News just showed an interview of Chris Simcox and gang on the border about 4:30. Maybe not so strangely, I have seen no reports anywhere about American Border Patrol's successes on Saturday.

I expect to see things escalate in the press during the next couple of days. We will undoubtedly be treated to the usual shrieks of dismay from the povert pimps, race racketeers, and the kumbaya chorus. Raoul Grijalva and Isabel Garcia in Tucson will go on TV and scream for State and Federal intervention against everyone in Cochise County. The Mexican government will get all snippy again, and go crying to Dubya. And the drug/alien smuggling cartels will step up their intimidations.

[B4Ranch]

The other thing that I see wasn't mentioned in the article was a couple of good tracking dogs. They can smell someone before any human even suspects they have company.

I would carry a scoped rifle that could reach out and touch someone from at least 400 yards, with a semi auto hand weapon on any of these patrols.

I do not believe in being unarmed in potentially dangerous situations.

I realize that most fresh illegals are not armed but how many of the coyotes aren't?

[snopercod]

Fox News ran a segment on this tonight. It was well done, with none of the "right-wing militia" crap that would have been done on the networks.

[flamefront]

According to the Putnam radio show today two ranchers have called into Glenn Spencer announcing that they have witnessed a number of buses arriving on the Mexican side of the border south of Naco AZ over the last [now 40] hours, they think a large number of illegals is about to cross en masse.

[JackelopeBreeder]

I thought Chris came off quite well and laid it on the line: "Yo, Government! We're here to embarass you into doing your job."

I'm familiar with the area where they fimed. The piles of trash that were shown are common. They can be found all over the county.

[JackelopeBreeder]

Uh-oh...they're probably right. There ain't jack in Naco to attract any tourists.

[JackelopeBreeder]

Had to look at a map real quick. Naco is about 15 miles east of where Chris was operating over the weekend. Go a couple of miles out of town and the border is just cattle fence. If they can just make it about three miles north and get across Highway 92, they can disappear into the scrub and washes.

I do not think this is a coincidence at all. If their coyotes directed them to go straight north and follow Highway 80, that will take them straight towards Tombstone.

Some @$$hole south of the border is probably trying to create an incident, probably as close to Tombstone as possible.