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  1. #1
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    The war on water: Pangas threaten national security Part 1

    Posted: Mar 03, 2015 3:42 PM PST Updated: Mar 03, 2015 3:42 PM PST
    By Amanda Starrantino

    Panga boats have been beaching on the Central Coast since 2012. They are 25 to 30 foot boats traveling from Mexico carrying hundreds of pounds of marijuana and undocumented immigrants.

    Since San Diego County was originally the easiest to enter through, Homeland Security has taken action there. But now, the problem is heading north to the Central Coast. Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo County have seen more than 50 of these boats in the past few years. Law enforcement now has new concerns.

    Because of all the recent threats to national security abroad and at home, the Sheriff's Offices in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties are feeling the pressure to keep the coast safe. With 200 miles of open coastline and recent panga boat activity, the sheriffs say they are worried it is an easy door for anyone.

    "That is the big fear that we just don't know what is coming into the country," says Sheriff Ian Parkinson, of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office. "I think we are absolutely at risk."

    Panga boats continue to drop off drugs and immigrants, and Sheriff Parkinson is uneasy about the hazards these boats open to America's borders.

    "The easiest way through Mexico at least is by boat," says Sheriff Parkinson. "That does not guarantee that you are going to make it but the reality is if you were trying to enter this country for more reasons than living here, but to do some terrorist act, it would make sense that they would take that path to come in here."

    In San Luis Obispo County, only four pangas have been captured, more than 60 people arrested, and thousands of pounds of marijuana recovered. In comparison, the Sheriff's Office has found 14 abandoned and have no estimate about how many have landed and escaped. But the fact of the pangas being left behind with motors costing more than $50,000 shows just how profitable their business is.

    "The truth is, I do not think the problem is going away, I think it is going to be here," says Sheriff Parkinson. "I think it is potentially going to get worse, I really do not think we have hurt them significantly that they are going to stop."

    About 40 pangas have chosen the shores of Santa Barbara County, which has its Sheriff worried too.

    "The increase in terrorist related incidents and threats as a result particularly the ISIS situation is a concern that this is an avenue for people to illegally enter the United States," says Sheriff Bill Brown of Santa Barbara County.

    Local authorities are not the only ones concerned. The United States Coast Guard is also on high alert.

    "We do not know the backgrounds on these people who are coming across the border, both migrants, the smugglers themselves, a lot of them come with a pretty extensive criminal background so there is a concern there," says U.S. Coast Guard Lieutenant Christopher Miller.

    Leaving those left to protect our coast seeing the exposure.

    "Is the coastline vulnerable? Absolutely," Lieutenant Miller responds to his own question.

    "You know the obvious is that these terrorists get in this country somehow, and if you are a terrorist what would you do?" asks Sheriff Parkinson. "Would you take the chance of coming across the border, you know, through a check point or on an airplane? Or into a county that has 100 miles of shoreline?"

    http://www.ksby.com/story/28253935/t...ecurity-part-1
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    The war on water: Pangas threaten national security Part 2

    Posted: Mar 03, 2015 3:43 PM PST Updated: Mar 03, 2015 3:43 PM PST
    By Kathrene Herndon

    More than 50 panga boats have been abandoned along the Central Coast since 2012, only a handful seized at sea by authorities. Authorities say it's not just marijuana being dropped off, but people who are a possible threat to the nation's security.

    These increased concerns have brought some increased security measures. A federal grant has been given to local departments to step up border patrols. Authorities say the ultimate goal is to make sure pangas do not land on their county beaches.

    "The amount of boats coming up from Mexico is tremendous, so we do what we can with the resources we have," says Lieutenant Christopher Miller of the United States Coast Guard.

    KSBY drove to Ventura to speak with a representative from the Coast Guard. He would not get into specifics but did say the federal government recognizes a concern and is giving them additional resources.

    "In addition to technology, adding new boats that can stay out longer, longer patrols that have advanced equipment, detection equipment, that kind of stuff," says Lieutenant Miller. "It not only allows us to stay out there longer, but it gives us extra tools to detect vessels entering the U.S. illegally. I can not talk specifics what our tactics are, (but) I can tell you that we are out there 24/7."

    With a limited number of assets, experts say it is unrealistic to completely guard the entire Pacific Coast.

    "In a perfect world we would have a line of boats past our shore, past our territorial seas to protect the U.S.," says Lieutenant Miller. "That is not something we can achieve. Through a layered defense kind of modeling using other government agencies, aircrafts, and boats, we do the best with what we have."

    That is where local agencies come into play and they have a plan of action all their own. For security purposes, the public can not know the exacts, but Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown says his department is being diligent.

    "I can't really get into the tactics being used but I can tell you we are working very closely with the federal agencies, with the Coast Guard, with Homeland Security, to indirect the threat before it reaches our shores," he says.

    With a federal grant, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office has funding for overtime hours for continual patrol protection, and they do tell KSBY they are using advanced technology.

    "Night vision cameras, which is really helpful to us because if you look at our entire coastline, particularly where boats have landed, it is wide open field areas," says San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson. "So when our deputies are patrolling they can actually use infrared cameras that can actually pick up people out in the fields that the naked eye won't pick up.

    But their best new tool is The Defender. Complete with side scan sonar, this 27 foot boat allows Sheriff's deputies to do something that they have never been able to do before, physically be on the ocean.

    "The focus is on border protection. That is what the grant is all about. It isolates protecting the border of the county," says Sheriff Parkinson. "That is the reason we got it and that is what we are pushing for. Certainly on the panga end of it, and that is a part of that, but having the ability to respond on the ocean in a boat is a really big thing."

    With stronger resources, the Sheriff's Office is determined to keep its stance on the border an aggressive one.

    "We are not going to treat it as just marijuana, we are going to treat it as an invasion in the country, and we have to be concerned that something more dangerous could be on board one of those boats," says Sheriff Parkinson. "And I think if we ignore that, I don't think I am doing my job and we are not doing our job for the country."

    Every agency told KSBY the most valuable resource out there is word of mouth. You are asked to call local authorities if you see anything unusual or out of the ordinary.

    U.S. Coast Guard: (805) 772-2167
    San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office: (805) 473-7100
    Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office: (805) 681-4100

    http://www.ksby.com/story/28253947/t...ecurity-part-2
    Support our FIGHT AGAINST illegal immigration & Amnesty by joining our E-mail Alerts at https://eepurl.com/cktGTn

  3. #3
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    Are you listening America? Lt. Miller of the Coast Guard and Sherriff Parkinson are quite clear, even adamant that we do not know who is getting in or why they are coming. Information that may say Congress has reason to fear aliens more than voters! Now, where do we the people turn for protection and common sense solutions. No one left but ourselves, our government has not been shy about being plain that they had no intention of doing that for citizens since Ronald Reagan!

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