By A.E. Araiza Arizona Daily Star 9 hrs ago


A.E. Araisa/Arizona Daily Star

NEAR THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER -- At the base of a wheat-colored knoll, partially shielded by scrub oaks and thorny bushes, Shawn Rodgers is on the brink of unleashing Mayhem.

Aided by digital technology and complete knowledge of his surroundings, Rodgers, at the appointed moment, gives the dark bay horse his head and the six-year-old mustang springs up the hill, rocks and dust flying as he gallops forward brushing by trees, crushing dried branches and anything else in his way.

Seconds later in a coordinated maneuver, Rodgers, and fellow members of the US Border Patrol’s Nogales Station Horse Patrol Unit are upon four surprised border crossers a short distance north of the Sonora-Arizona border, just west of Nogales.

As he closes in on some of the men who are making a run for it in the steep, slippery terrain, Rodgers, a supervisory Border Patrol agent, yells out, “Donde Vas? Tenemos caballos,” letting the men know they are being pursued by patrolmen on horseback.“Where are you going? We have horses!”Such an announcement Rodgers says later, helps people like those apprehended today realize they should stop running because they cannot outrun a horse.

In short order, the four men are rounded up and told to sit in the shade of a nearby tree where they are questioned and then searched for identification, weapons and contraband. All their money is counted and documented.

It is also a good time to identify the foot guides, or smugglers, because it is important to a successful prosecution, Rodgers said.

The encounter with the border crossers at that location was not coincidental. “Our operations are intelligence-based and rely heavily on information, traffic trends and all the technology available to us,” he said.

Border cameras and sensors deployed in the area give the agents an idea of the entry point and their experience suggests to them the likely routes the crossers may take.

Communications by hand-held radios gives the agents on the ground the means to keep in contact with those who are monitoring the changing situation.

Because of technology, the areas where the mounted agents are deployed can vary not only daily but even in mid-shift to address changes throughout the day, Rodgers said.

Coupled with the agent’s knowledge of the area, it puts them in the best position to stop any illegal traffic or threat, “We can rapidly and appropriately adjust to address any incursions in the Nogales Area of Operation,” he said.

Plus at any given time they can work hand-in-hand with other ground units, including the agents riding ATV’s in the area.

But the quick interception of the crossers is also where the agency’s mustangs come in.

An agent on horseback can cover more ground in less time than an agent on foot, Rodgers said.

There is also the tactical advantage of being mounted and high above the ground that can make it easier to see things.

And of course, a horse is much quieter than a truck or ATV, he said.

But it is the horse’s keen visual and auditory senses that allow it to alert the agents of the presence of people often before the agents can hear or see the group themselves, he said.

The horse, as a piece of technology, is not new to the border patrol.

As a matter of fact, back in 1924 when the agency began, in order to join the border patrol an agent needed two requirements, one of which was a horse, said Bobbi Schad, the Tucson sector horse patrol coordinator.

The other requirement was a gun, Schad said. The government would provide the ammo.

Now there are between 14 and 22 horses assigned at the Nogales Border Patrol Station alone, she said.

The horse units are assigned to the rural mountainous areas, ranch lands and those areas that are environmentally sensitive, Schad said. They work closely with the local ranchers who are a vital source of information, and in return, the agents inform ranchers of sick or injured cattle, downed fences or non-functioning wells.

Statewide, there are currently 90 mustangs in use, and nine other border patrol sectors also utilize mustangs, Schad said.

Not all mounts are mustangs. Some are purchased from the general public, local rescue groups and occasionally some have been donated. They all must meet the agency’s requirements and any horses purchased must be at a low price, she said.

For agents who want to get into the unit, they must also be certified and must go through a thorough training session.

And although there are 90 agents currently assigned to the horse units in the Tucson sector, several hundred agents have gone through the training and are certified to be in the horse patrol, Schad said.

In addition, the unit’s apprehension numbers for this past June says a lot of the efficiency of the group.

“For the month of June, the horse patrol units within the Tucson Sector apprehended around 400 subjects and seized approximately 2,900 pounds of marijuana,” Schad said.

Back under the shady tree, Rodgers, Schad, along with Mayhem and several other agents wait calmly as they hold the four border crossers until a vehicle can transport them.

Otherwise, the agents would have to walk them to the nearest road.

Luckily, a dirt road is nearby and once the crossers are transported by vehicle the agents find their way back to the horse trailer with a brief stop for water at a local well for the horses to get refreshed for the journey back.

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