Mexican Officials Raze 31 Border Buildings

[Charlesoakisland]

Mexican Officials Raze 31 Border Buildings
Tue Sep 20, 6:48 PM ET



SANTA FE, N.M. - Mexican officials bulldozed 31 abandoned buildings Tuesday along the U.S.-Mexican border in a village that has been a staging ground for drug and human smugglers.


New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Chihuahua Gov. Jose Reyes Baeza agreed last month that the demolition was needed to help end lawlessness in the village of Las Chepas, which has only about 35 full-time residents.

"Bulldozing abandoned buildings in Las Chepas is a major step that sends a strong signal to anyone involved in illegal criminal activity on the border that it will not be tolerated," Richardson said.

The operation was monitored from the United States side by U.S. Border Patrol agents.

Richardson declared a state of emergency last month in four New Mexico counties along or near the Mexican border. Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano earlier had declared a similar emergency in her state.

The declarations freed up state money for use by local governments and law enforcement to cope with what they describe as increasing border crime and problems related to illegal immigration.

The Border Patrol announced last week that an additional 86 agents were being assigned to southern New Mexico. Richardson said that act, combined with Tuesday's demolition, "signifies what cooperation between border governors and federal officials can achieve."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050920/ap_ ... bulldozing

[TheWatchdog]

Bulldoze Tijuana next.

[rakishoner]

Use the pieces to patch the fence.