Assaults On Border Patrol Agents On Rise
Assaults On Border Patrol Agents On Rise
Daniel Novick-KFOX News Reporter
UPDATED: 10:13 pm MST January 27, 2008
EL PASO, Texas -- The Border Patrol said you can draw a direct correlation between how many Border Patrol agents are being attacked and the increase in security along the border.
It was business as usual at Border Patrol Headquarters in El Paso on Sunday, but the agents worked with heavy hearts.
"It's a tragedy, first and foremost, and we all feel that, particularly in this case where you have an agent who's from the El Paso area," said Doug Mosier with Border Patrol.
As KFOX has reported, Border Patrol agent Luis Aguilar was killed in Yuma, Ariz. on Jan. 19, when Border Patrol officials said, he was struck by a drug smuggler's vehicle. Mosier said incidents like that show that drug smugglers and human traffickers have become desperate and that border security is working.
"We are starting to see more assaults on agents, and I think clearly it indicates that that's a show of success for those agencies that work along the U.S.-Mexico Border," said Mosier.
On Sunday, KFOX spoke to border crossers who said they've noticed the increase in attacks on agents.
"Yes, I feel that there is a lot of violence from what I have seen on TV," said Lourdes Bailon from Juarez.
"It's obvious that if the more they intercept the more angry the cartels get, and that's why there is more violence against the Border Patrol agents," said Juan Carlos Trevino also from Juarez.
Trevino believes the Border Patrol must continue working hard, because the drug smugglers will not stop.
"Those people are always going to try and find new ways to keep trafficking drugs," said Trevino.
Mosier said a key number to look at in border security is the number of apprehensions. Mosier said the fewer apprehensions the Border Patrol makes, the fewer people that are trying to cross. Since Oct. 1, Mosier told KFOX, they have had 11,191 apprehensions. That's down from 20,881 apprehensions during the same time period a year ago.
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