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Posted on Tue, Aug. 15, 2006

Border Patrol chief cites several reasons for drop in apprehensions


By Alfredo Corchado

The Dallas Morning News

(MCT)

EL PASO, Texas - The deployment of National Guard troops to back up the Border Patrol in the Southwest is just one reason that apprehensions of illegal border-crossers has fallen dramatically in the last three months, Border Patrol chief David Aguilar said Tuesday.

In an interview, Aguilar credited the Guard but also cited increases in Border Patrol personnel and the use of "tactical infrastructure" such as infrared cameras and listening devices for a 47 percent decline in apprehensions of illegal immigrants.

His comments appeared to challenge suggestions by some critics of illegal immigration that the Guard deployment was the main reason for the dramatic drop.

"The National Guard is a very big piece, but it's not the whole picture," Aguilar said. "When you take into account all those factors, our strategy is starting to take hold."

Aguilar said he expects the "ramp up" of technology, infrastructure improvements and further personnel increases to produce more declines in apprehensions. Aguilar, who is in charge of a 12,000-person force, was the featured speaker at a two-day conference on border security hosted by U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, at the University of Texas at El Paso.

Speaking Monday night, Mexican Ambassador Carlos de Icaza criticized the idea of building a border fence to control immigration. "Fences and walls between the United States and Mexico are not a good idea," he said. "We're neighbors, we're partners and we can do better."

His U.S. counterpart, Ambassador Tony Garza, said that the focus needs to be on sending "U.S. capital south and (Mexican) people north" in a "legal, safe and orderly human migration."