Thread: Border Patrol arrests at the border decline

http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_5054961

Border Patrol arrests at the border decline
By Louie Gilot / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 01/21/2007 12:00:00 AM MST


The Border Patrol recorded notable drops in apprehensions of undocumented immigrants in the past fiscal quarter along the U.S.-Mexico border and in El Paso.

For the quarter started Oct. 1, 2006, the beginning of the 2007 fiscal year, apprehensions were down by 26 percent on the southern border from apprehensions in the first quarter of fiscal 2006, and by 38 percent in the El Paso sector, which includes West Texas and all of New Mexico.

The drop was most notable in Southern New Mexico, Border Patrol officials said.

"We attribute that to the hiring of more agents and the temporary acquisition of the National Guard, who are now in Santa Teresa as part of Operation Jump Start," said Border Patrol spokesman Doug Mosier.

El Paso sector agents made 15,463 apprehensions in the October-December quarter. Along the border, agents made 158,818 apprehensions, compared with 207,197 during the same period a year ago.

Declines in apprehensions occurred in all sectors but were greatest in the Del Rio, Texas, and Yuma, Ariz., sectors, each with a decrease of 63 percent.

The number of other-than-Mexican apprehensions dropped 58 percent along the southern border, totaling 12,942 through the first quarter of fiscal 2007. The decrease in other-than-Mexican apprehensions reduces the time agents spend transporting and processing and increases their time spent patrolling the border, officials said.

Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar, in a written statement, hailed federal programs such as the Secure Border Initiative.

"We are seeing positive results," he said. "These programs continue to enable our front-line agents to be more effective in our border security mission."

Drug seizures increased along the whole border but dropped overall in El Paso, where they were down 11 percent. Marijuana seizures were down 41 percent in El Paso, but cocaine seizures were up 20 percent.

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Everytime I hear about OTM's I worry about how many weren't caught?

is there anyone left in mexico?