Thread: Bullet Barrage from Mexico

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/disp/st ... 45299.html

July 13, 2006, 3:43PM
Sheriff seeks answers in bullet barrage from Mexico

By LYNN BREZOSKY
Associated Press

HARLINGEN — South Texas sheriff's deputies were investigating today whether Mexican gunmen who fired on deputies and Border Patrol agents from across the Rio Grande had crossed into the U.S.

Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino said 200 to 300 shots were fired from automatic weapons Wednesday night, but no one was injured on the U.S. side and police didn't fire back.

"This type of incident is a very good example of why I will not allow my deputies to patrol the river banks or the levees anywhere close to the river," he said. "We do have drug trafficking gangs, human trafficking gangs, that will not hesitate to fire at us."

Trevino said the shooting appeared to have started in Mexico, at a riverside ranch owned by a family from Donna. He said two brothers said they were with their father at the ranch when vehicles full of armed men drove into the ranch and opened fire on the ranch house, killing a ranch hand and taking their father hostage.

The brothers hid for several hours in their corn field before swimming across the river, which is at that point only about 30 to 40 yards wide. They called their mother from a cell phone, who called 911.

The mother said someone may have been killed, and police and Border Patrol initially went to the river bank to search for a body. Once there, the gunfire began.

"There is no doubt about one thing, that we were shot at from the Mexican side," Trevino said, "a barrage that lasted over five minutes, maybe even seven."

He said the deputies didn't shoot back because they couldn't see the assailants through the trees on the other side.

Thursday, a SWAT team finished securing the area and deputies were to begin searching for bullet casings that would prove some shots were fired from the U.S. side.

Trevino said the proof could lead to charges of attempted capital murder, though he said the chances of finding and prosecuting the gunmen were "next to impossible."

Trevino said Mexican police are conducting their own investigation but had not yet been in contact.

He said it was early to determine a motive, but theories were that a drug gang was trying to get control of a ranch adjacent to the river or that gang members thought there were drugs on the ranch to steal.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection statistics indicate violence on the border has escalated.

In the Rio Grande Valley sector alone, there have so far been 76 reports of violence against Border Patrol agents since the start of the fiscal year Oct. 1, including shootings, physical assaults, vehicle assaults, threats, and rock throwings. There were 35 for 2005.

Border-wide, there were 566 assaults against agents for fiscal year 2005, compared to 548 in 2004 and 375 in 2003.

Border Patrol spokesman Roy Cervantes said most of the violence was a result of increasing enforcement making smugglers more desperate.

"Front-line agents in the Rio Grande Valley sector know full well what impact their efforts are making on these criminal organizations," he said. "Unfortunately these organizations' frustrations are becoming more violent.

So, it starts.


Dear God, sooner or later, it's going to blow up! This is a powder keg and I truly fear it's going to get ugly fast now.

Our government has allowed this illegal nonsense to go on for too long - and now that we're starting (barely, in my opinion) to crack down on border crossings, it's probably going to escalate quickly.

Sooner or later, someone will fire back and that will be that!!

Now this is really serious and scary. We need boots on the border pronto! What is it going to take to get DC out of their hole and do something??? I'm so frustrated with our government. They are getting bolder and bolder at the border. I agree, this is a powder keg ready to blow. Wake up Washington!!!

I'm sorry guys......I do NOT want our military on the border unless they're armed. Sending our guys with a "no arms" edict is a prescription for putting them in harms way without the ability to protect themselves.

Damn, this smacks of klinton's "no ammunition" military and I'm very concerned if it should escalate and they're out there basically bare assed.

I agree 2nd if they are going to send them there let them be armed as this could very well get ugly and very quickly.

In such a violent area of course our side of the border should be armed. We should get more border patrol agents down there, do something. This is seriously dangerous for our guys down there now.

I completely agree, even tho the whole idea scares the pants off me. Our people need to be able to defend themselves - no question.

What's that saying about the "shot heard around the world".

I would think it would be in some way unlawful to send the National Guard into harms way without being able to defend their lives. Woe to our President and our country if one of these soldiers and that is what they are down there, are shot and killed by armed Mexican thugs while they are standing there with only spit as a weapon! I agree, don't even send them if they aren't armed! Perhaps we should send our President and whoever else needs it, over to Isreal for a little training on just how to take care of their soldiers!

So far as I know all servicemen are to have their sidearms with them at all times even if they are told not to use them. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Originally Posted by nittygritty

I would think it would be in some way unlawful to send the National Guard into harms way without being able to defend their lives. Woe to our President and our country if one of these soldiers and that is what they are down there, are shot and killed by armed Mexican thugs while they are standing there with only spit as a weapon! I agree, don't even send them if they aren't armed! Perhaps we should send our President and whoever else needs it, over to Isreal for a little training on just how to take care of their soldiers!

Great idea and let's add a little to that - How about we hire the Israelies to defend that border? Should be a lot less problem them