[SIZE=+1]Police face Mexican military, smugglers Armed standoff along U.S. border[/SIZE] <small>The Daily Bulletin, Ontario Calif ^ | 10/16/07 | Sara A. Carter and Kenneth Todd Ruiz</small> <small>Posted on 10/17/2007 3:49:51 AM PDT by Bulldawg Fan</small> Mexican soldiers and civilian smugglers had an armed standoff with nearly 30 U.S. law enforcement officials on the Rio Grande in Texas Monday afternoon, according to Texas police and the FBI. Mexican military Humvees were towing what appeared to be thousands of pounds of marijuana across the border into the United States, said Chief Deputy Mike Doyal, of the Hudspeth County Sheriff's Department. Mexican Army troops had several mounted machine guns on the ground more than 200 yards inside the U.S. border -- near Neely's Crossing, about 50 miles east of El Paso -- when Border Patrol agents called for backup. Hudspeth County deputies and Texas Highway patrol officers arrived shortly afterward, Doyal said. "It's been so bred into everyone not to start an international incident with Mexico that it's been going on for years," Doyal said. "When you're up against mounted machine guns, what can you do? Who wants to pull the trigger first? Certainly not us." An FBI spokeswoman confirmed the incident happened at 2:15 p.m. Pacific Time. "Bad guys in three vehicles ended up on the border," said Andrea Simmons, a spokeswoman with the FBI's El Paso office. "People with Humvees, who appeared to be with the Mexican Army, were involved with the three vehicles in getting them back across." Simmons said the FBI was not involved and referred inquiries to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE did not return calls seeking comment. Doyal said deputies captured one vehicle in the incident, a Cadillac Escalade reportedly stolen from El Paso, and found 1,477 pounds of marijuana inside. The Mexican soldiers set fire to one of the Humvees stuck in the river, he said. Doyal's deputies faced a similar incident on Nov. 17, when agents from the Fort Hancock border patrol station in Texas called the sheriff's department for backup after confronting more than six fully armed men dressed in Mexican military uniforms. The men -- who were carrying machine guns and driving military vehicles -- were trying to bring more than three tons of marijuana across the Rio Grande, Doyal said. Doyal said such incidents are common at Neely's Crossing, which is near Fort Hancock, Texas, and across from the Mexican state of Chihuahua. "It happens quite often here," he said. Deputies and border patrol agents are not equipped for combat, he added. "Our government has to do something," he said. "It's not the immigrants coming over for jobs we're worried about. It's the smugglers, Mexican military and the national threat to our borders that we're worried about." Citing a Jan. 15 story in the Daily Bulletin, Reps. David Dreier, R-Glendora, and Duncan Hunter, R-San Diego, last week asked the House Judiciary Committee, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, the House Homeland Security Committee and the House International Relations Committee to investigate the incursions. The story focused on a Department of Homeland Security document reporting 216 incursions by Mexican soldiers during the past 10 years and a map with the seal of the president's Office of National Drug Control Policy, both of which were given to the newspaper. Requests by Dreier, chairman of the House Rules Committee, and Hunter were made in jointly signed letters. On Wednesday, Chertoff played down the reports of border incursions by the Mexican military. He suggested many of the incursions could have been mistakes, blaming bad navigation by military personnel or attributing the incursions to criminals dressed in military garb. Mexican officials last week denied any incursions made by their military. But border agents interviewed over the past year have discussed confrontations those they believe to be Mexican military personnel. "We're sitting ducks," said a border agent speaking on condition of anonymity. "The government has our hands tied." - Sara A. Carter can be reached by e-mail at sara.carter@dailybulletin.com or by phone at (909) 483-8552. - Kenneth Todd Ruiz can be reached by e-mail at todd.ruiz@dailybulletin.com or by phone at (909) 483-8555.
Perhaps its time for US Citizens to defend their country. I bet we could come up with force strong enough and with enough .50 cal rifles to kill the smugglers.
Hey lets put Black water out there with orders to capture if possible but neutralize any "drug smuggler" that appears to be wearing a mexican uniform. I'm sure the mexican gov. would like to get their uniform back since it has to be stolen. It's either that or the mexican military is really the ones transporting across the boarder. If we get a mexican humvee then all the better we can return that too. Since Black water employees have combat exp. then they know how to defend themselves as well as win a confrontation of larger numbers. Take care Be safe Poacher.
This is what happens when we have republicans in congress and republicans in the whitehouse. Rights of individuals gets stepped on. Corporations encouraged to send our jobs overseas. Our borders..... what borders ? CHINESE leaders are doing more to help our country (buying bonds to buoy our economy) than our own "leaders". I wonder if we as a people are still brain dead enough to keep voting for republicans. We need to amend the constitution and strip public officials (of all levels) of their immunity from liability while in office. Lets get accountability back in government.
The article said it spans back 10 years.. This isn't just a Republican issue. Sorta like saying that herr Klinton was the only president to get a BJ in the white house. This issue like almost all others goes way beyond the two parties. My thoughts are that alot of things that get "leaked" to the press tend to come from K street. The residents of K street really don't care who gets elected because they give money to both parties so their assets are covered. But I digress I find it rather hard to believe that the mex. military is so bad with map reading that they can't figure out oh hey jesus that large river there isn't that the boarder???? We are so worried about making a incident that we don't protect our Land. While America slept someone came in and took our courage. Take care Be safe (and watch yer six.) Poacher.
Credit where credit is due? Let's just admit that pols should be squeaky clean to get elected in the first place (but often aren't.) Then, admit that they become corrupted by what has become a corrupt system. Don't bother blaming a "party" for that, it's embedded in the way the dot gov operates. Worse, the unelected beaurocracy sets the tone, and has to operate to preserve and expand itself.
Reagan Gave Amnesty, Democrat Congress Bush 1 Gave Amnesty, Democrat Congress Bill Clinton Gave Amnesty, Democrat Congress, then Republican Congress Bush 2 has looked the other way, Republican "Do Nothing" Congress, Democrat "Do Nothing" Congress The reality is....They all suck and they all have done absolutely nothing but spend us into our current shape. Bush has sucked on this issue, but so has every president that has proceeded him. To point a finger at any one party for sole blame is silly. We have 100 Senators, 435 Representatives, 9 Justices, and 1 president. That makes 545 people who REALLY BIG AZZHOLES (-1 for Ron Paul). Congress sucks. The Presidents have sucked. And the People get FUKKED!
Ghrit and Clyde both make good points and I don't disagree. I'm just sick of people pretending to represent the people when they really only represent #1 Their own pocketbook #2 large corporations. I have analyzed this in my own head for a long time. The main source of this the best I can surmise is what we have to get rid of.... Immunity from liability while in office. We hold landscapers and the youngest fast food teens to higher standards than we do lawmakers. Any other professional out there is liable for their own professional decisions. If a landscaper makes a mistake in his profesional work and damages property they are liable. They are encouraged by that liability to not make brain-dead decisions. Those that do are quickly weeded out of the landscape profession. Government officials need to be held to the same standard. Lets get rid of immunity from liability for government officials. Hold them to the S A M E standards as everyone else.
quote that vet who cut the mex flag down that was flying above the stars and stripes" I won't stand for it"...thats what it will take stick a fork in congress, the system is done.the constitution is nolonger the supreme law of the land.and the fancy lawyers shrug and walk away... grrrr... I get upset when I realize WE are the stewards of this country for our generation, it doesn't belong to gw Bush to,throwaway on super nafta... what will WE hand our kids?
