Illuminated by the faint light of a golden moon, saguaro cactus, multi-stemmed ocotillo and sagebrush whizz past. Donkey has decided to make a run and agents on the back of three other horses bolt across the Sonoran Desert just ahead. We had only been in the Border Patrol truck for about 15 minutes, horses and trailer in tow, when the call came. Seven men seen through night vision goggles hiking across the remote desert, huge packs of drugs on their backs, now agents ride full speed dodging stuff half the time you can't eve en make out.

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Brian Reed, Travis Johnson and Juan Claudio form the team that I have tagged along with on this night. All told, there are 14 agents on the Ajo horse team and these three have handed me the reins of a horse known as 'Donkey'. Captured from smugglers several years back, the ten year-old gelding gets complimented as the "Cadillac of the herd" and I quickly understand why while trying to feel the difference between his trot and gallop. His gait can only be described as smooth and from the outset I realize this horse likes to lead.

I have ridden before and have a paint horse of my own, but other than riding 150 years ago with a gang of outlaws, nothing can really prepare me for what lie ahead. Even so, before the sun went down agents put me through a test to ensure I wont put them, or me, in a dangerous situation. I pass, likely more due to horse than the rider.

Back to the action…simply put, Donkey gets up and goes. He easily races through the organ pipe and sage to keep up with the others, only slowing to traverse through washes and other barely seen marks in the desert. I am following the team leader Brian, at this point, doing my best to stay out of the way. Travis and Juan have taken off in a different direction and the thundering of hooves of their horses galloping along can be heard off to my right-hand side.

As Donkey picks up considerable speed I pull back on the reigns, Verbal queues are avoided since it might tip of the smugglers easier than just hearing the echo of horseshoes on the desert floor. Minutes later, about 30 yards away, I hear Juan yelling in spanish for someone to get down on the ground and I rein donkey in that direction and we again begin the race across the desert.

I am here to document, so out of my jacket I grab my flashlight and camera, Juan and his horse are now just feet away. One smuggler staggering from a fall stumbles into my horse and then follows directions in spanish and lies face first on the desert. Other yelling can now be heard, so I switch my light from hard to see red, to white, which better lights up the darkened and arid scenery. Two more men being led by agents on horses, each carrying massive sacks of dope. They too join the line-up, laying flat on the ground as the dope gets piled nearby.

Travis then heads out to scout a bit in the area, while Juan and Brian control the scene. Other agents from the Ajo station arrive in SUV's on a rugged dirt road about 150 yards away and with them our photographer Scott King and producer Ron Ralston. They job across the landscape and once on site, their lights also help show quite a haul. More than 350 pounds of marijuana with a street value of roughly $250,000…and the night has only just begun.

“We can get there quicker…the horses can see in the dark, so we can ride up within feet. The aliens think it is just another horse walking around in the desert,â€