http://sun.yumasun.com/artman/publish/a ... _19767.php

Alien with sawed-off shotgun arrested
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Oct 12, 2005

An illegal alien from Mexico, armed with a sawed-off shotgun, was arrested Monday by U.S. Border Patrol agents near the Colorado River.

In response to increased violence on the border, the Yuma sector Border Patrol is conducting enhanced operations along the river using increased foot patrols to curb bandit activity, according to a Border Patrol news release.

At 2:45 p.m. Monday, a Customs and Border Protection canine alerted agents to a man in the bushes attempting to hide from authorities. Agents found a man in his underwear, with his legs crossed and the weapon lying across his legs.

The man was arrested without incident. A search by agents revealed two syringes of heroin, which was turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Also, the shotgun was found to be loaded with a single round of birdshot, and another round was found nearby in the man's clothes.

The man, whose name was not released by the Border Patrol, is being prosecuted for re-entry after deportation and may also be charged with illegal alien with a weapon, according to the release.

Yuma sector Border Patrol spokeswoman Claudia Delgado said the man had his initial hearing Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Yuma. She said the case remains under investigation.

The Border Patrol and Yuma County Sheriff's Office have said that violent crimes along the border have been on the rise lately.

In one weekend in August, Border Patrol agents and San Luis Police were hit with rocks, fired upon and nearly rammed with a vehicle.

Also this year a Customs and Border Protection helicopter was brought down by a rock that was thrown at it.