Old Weapons, New Uses

Reported by: Stephanie Bertini
Last Update: 10:49 am

EDINBURG - Drug smugglers are doing everything they can to get their loads into the United States.

They're even reviving weapons used in ancient Greece.

"Initially, it was something that took us by surprise, but we are always thinking ahead and always trying to stay one step ahead of smugglers," says U.S. Border Patrol spokesperson Rosie Huey.

Smugglers are using everything from homemade catapults to road spikes. Ken Grant, a history professor at UTPA, says it's nothing new. He says the road spikes were called caltrops and were first implemented by the ancient Greeks.

"It comes from the Latin term calcatropa, which means foot trap. Very effective in the ancient world against elephants, horses, camels, men walking but also cars with rubber tires," says Grant.

He says the caltrops were used to disable an opponent during a chase, the same thing drug smugglers are using them for now.

"You can have the highest tech stuff in the world, but you will never see them until you step on them," he says.

Recently, a group of smugglers built and used a catapult to launch drugs over the border fence in Arizona.

Grant says it's also nothing new.

"Catapults were used at least as far back as ancient Greece," he says.

Grant says the revival of history will surely keep law enforcement on its toes. He suggests they study to see what might come next.

http://www.krgv.com/news/local/story/Ol ... ba7TA.cspx