Thread: Special Report on Border Protection Against Drug Cartels

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Special Report on Border Protection Against Drug Cartels
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Living along the border, so close to Mexico, brings on many potential threats. Violent drug wars, breaking out, south of the border,all causing turmoil and chaos. What are Border Patrol agents doing to ensure our protection.

Violence, plagues our neighboring country, Mexico, with bullet shoot-outs becoming more common. 2,500 deaths last year and already in this ripe new year, 250 people are dead, all instigated by bloody shoot-outs involving Mexico's notorious drug cartels. The CIA is constantly communicating with the Border Patrol, which is our first line of defense against the drug trafficing and cartels.

The 2000 border agents are the eyes and ears and they say they're ready if any violent rampage were to creep over to our soil. The gear they carry with them such as bulletproof vests, M-4 weapons, 50 K-9 units, and night goggles prepares them for their best in the worst of any situations.

They patrol at checkpoints, the east side of Boca Chica beach, the Rio Grande river and all the way to McAllen's border station, with three interior stations. On land, or water, around the clock, day or night, they say they have all areas covered if the powerful drug cartels try to infiltrate security.

Fear of violence, doesn't deter Oscar Saldana whose been working for the Rio Grande Valley sector for the past 10 years, he says it all boils down to responsibility. Saldana says their mission is the complete opposite of the drug cartels who are in it for the power and money and the agents do it for national security. For them, he says, it's about serving the United States, and unlike the drug cartels, instead of taking lives, these agents want to save lives.
Story Created: Feb 20, 2008 at 10:54 AM CST

Story Updated: Feb 20, 2008 at 12:22 PM CST








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The 2000 border agents are the eyes and ears and they say they're ready if any violent rampage were to creep over to our soil. The gear they carry with them such as bulletproof vests, M-4 weapons, 50 K-9 units, and night goggles prepares them for their best in the worst of any situations.

There are ONLY 2000 border agents covering the border's total length of 1969 miles (3141 km) 24 hours a day, 365 days a year?
*If all 2000 were working at the same time thats a fraction over 1 border agent per mile.
*Take into consideration office workers, vacations, sick leave, days off, check-point inspectors, lunch breaks, those just involved in search and rescue, etc.--how many are actually GUARDING the border in an 8 hour period?

ONLY 50 K-9's are working the border?
*EVERY border agent should have a border dog for safety & detection aid.
*I know of a county with a population of 30,000 with 3 police dogs.

The more I hear about border agents, the greater my admiration grows. They are true heros!

DHS has truly made the heroic border agents job one of a mission impossible.

"The United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence." Article IV Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution.