Thread: Border watchers claim success

Protesters 'don't want them here'
By Anne Krueger
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

July 24, 2005

CAMPO – A group of civilian border watchers and those who oppose them are maintaining an uneasy truce in the second weekend of a project to focus attention on the border problems in San Diego County's backcountry.

Jim Chase, a retired Oceanside postal worker who is leading a loosely organized group watching the border, said yesterday the effort that began a week ago has been effective in halting illegal immigration and drug smuggling.

"We are very successful. People can't get by us," he said. He said the watchers have spotted dozens of people who came to the border fence but didn't attempt to cross when they saw they were being observed.

A group of protesters staying in tents near the steel fences that mark the border vowed to remain until the group known as the California Minutemen leaves.

"We don't want them here," said Vicente Rodriguez of San Diego. "These men are armed and they want to wrap themselves with the flag of patriotism and build their organization."

Law enforcement officers said the area was peaceful, with no incidents reported.

Chase has promised to keep a group of civilians along the border at least until Aug. 7. Roughly 40 people participated yesterday, with more expected.

Stewart Reeves of Oceanside, a manager with the Minutemen, said the participants call the Border Patrol if they observe people trying to cross the border or other suspicious activity.

An incident Friday night in which a pregnant young woman went into labor on the Mexican side of the border was seen from different perspectives by the border watchers and the protesters. Paramedics arrived on the United States side of the border and took the woman to a hospital.

Reeves said the incident was a diversion to distract Border Patrol agents from other illegal activity taking place along the border. One of the protesters, Michela Saucedo of San Diego, said the authorities showed compassion.

"When this woman was giving birth, there was no fence," Saucedo said. "At that moment, they don't think if she was illegal or not. That was humanity."

Members of the border-watch group said they saw their involvement in the Minutemen as a way to protect the United States.

"I love my country and I want to do anything I can for the country I love," said Ken Lester, a 75-year-old retired truck driver from Chula Vista.

Jeff Schwilk of Oceanside said he became interested in the Minutemen after seeing a news report about a similar group's activities along the border in Arizona.

"As soon as I saw what they were doing, I said, 'If they ever do this in California, I'm there,' " Schwilk said.

Arne and Sharrie Chandler, a retired couple who live in Temecula, arrived in Campo yesterday after spending three weeks with border watchers in Arizona.

Arne Chandler said he was concerned that terrorists were slipping across the border, not just people who were coming to the United States for work.

"We're not worried about the grape pickers. We're worried about the terrorists," he said. "We're here for our grandkids, to change things for them."

Chase said he has had confrontations with some residents who live by the border and didn't want the civilian watchers on their property.

But Debra Benjamin, a waitress at the Campo Diner, echoed the sentiments of several Campo residents who said the steady stream of immigrants in the area has disappeared since the border watchers showed up.

"I'm glad they're here," she said. "It's difficult for the Border Patrol to keep up with the traffic. There are too many getting through."

Anne Krueger: (619) 593-4962; anne.krueger@uniontrib.com
-------------------

http://www.americanpatrol.com/05-FEATUR ... ation.html

Americans Heading for Campo

July 6, 2005

Meeting with USBP, BLM Law Enforcement, US Forest Service, California Highway Patrol and 7 independent Agents from California Minutemen went very well.

What came out of it:

First of all the USBP wants all the calls to go to USBP Campo, CA station only 619 662-7321 Calls about illegal aliens to accidents. Call them.

When you set into your position, please call USBP to let them know where you are and the vehicle you are driving because there are USBP agents driving around out there. If you encounter a BP agent say Minutemen and keep your hands in plain sight.

Be sure you display the dash ID we give you when out on the line or anywhere you may cross the path of USBP. Be polite and show CMM ID card if asked.

The Border Road and the first 60 feet belongs to everyone, says BLM and President Theodore Roosevelt. Just be sure others can pass you.

Most of our positions are on private or BLM land. California legal weapons OK. Do not remove a hand gun from a holster unless you are being felony assaulted.

BLM Law Enforcement is fine with us wearing and carrying California legal weapons on BLM. So are most private border ranch owners. No weapons in Jacumba area as we will be close to homes. Store in your vehicle properly.

You can camp for 14 days on BLM. No fires. No charcoal Barbeque. No off road in vehicles save turn outs and such. BLM is between Power Towers 121-123 and 139-149.

(edited; see link for addtional information)

Oppositon article:

http://www.socialistworker.org/2005-2/5 ... ntes.shtml
Confrontation at the California border:
Protesters challenge vigilantes

By Lance Newman | July 22, 2005 | Page 16

RACIST VIGILANTES calling themselves the Border Patrol Auxiliary (BPA) ran into heated opposition in the desert mountains east of San Diego on July 16. The BPA was launching three weeks of “patrols� along the border with Mexico to target “illegal immigrants.�

The group was founded by Jim Chase of Oceanside, Calif., who was kicked out of the Minutemen, the group that invaded the Arizona border region in April. The major difference between these two brands of hate is that Chase encourages BPA members to carry weapons, including concealed firearms, during their night patrols along the border.

When Chase announced the founding of the BPA in the spring, he declared that the first operation would begin in mid-July in the tiny desert town of Campo. He later withdrew the call after immigrant rights activists raised an outcry. One week before the planned launch, Chase suddenly reissued his call to action.

Asked by a reporter why he had changed his mind, Chase claimed to be a victim. “We got scared because there are all these people coming to get us,� he said, “and with the cameras, they’re less likely to beat us up. I hear there are Che Guevara communists and the People’s Party and all these anarchist groups.�

Chase was right about one thing: people did come from all over Southern California and beyond to oppose him and his thugs in anti-racist protests organized by the San Diego coalition Gente Unida.

The day began at Noon as protesters marched 100-strong to the Campo hall of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), carrying banners reading, “No Human Being is Illegal� and “Smash Racism, Smash the Border.� Chase emerged from the building and began yelling at the crowd, but was quickly shouted down.

One marcher denounced the Campo VFW chapter, asking how it could support the BPA racists when so many Latin American immigrants, including her own father, had served in the U.S. military. After driving Chase and his supporters back into the hall, the crowd chanted, “We’ll be back and we’ll be bigger,� and marched off.

Chase was so intimidated that he called the police 911 emergency number several times during the day to complain about “threatening� protesters. His constant pleas annoyed even the police. Campo Sheriff Bill Hogue reprimanded Chase and told the San Diego Union Tribune, “The only armed people I’ve seen out here, besides law enforcement, are Mr. Chase’s followers.�

Despite 100-degree heat in the afternoon, Gente Unida set up a tent city at an important intersection of border access roads. This “racist-free zone� became the site for a series of evening meetings on politics, strategy and tactics for the movement to stop the vigilantes.

As the sun got lower, more BPA members began to arrive at the VFW hall, so activists organized another march. This second confrontation succeeded in intimidating several would-be vigilantes, who scurried out of town as soon as the marchers withdrew.

James Gilchrist, one of the national co-founders of the Minutemen Project, spoke at the BPA’s afternoon meeting. This is an important turn of events, since Gilchrist and Chase had parted ways over “tactical differences� in the recent past. Gilchrist’s appearance and the fact that the BPA now claim affiliation with the “California Minutemen� are indications that the bigots may be consolidating their forces in response to the hounding they meet everywhere they go.

As night fell, the remaining BPA members, about 30 in all, moved into the desert to set up night patrols along the border fence. They were forced to drive through the intersection where Gente Unida had camped, so activists confronted them again, chanting, “Racists go home!�

Through the long night, as Chase and his thugs attempted to apprehend border-crossers, Gente Unida activists in four-wheel drive vehicles dogged them with floodlights and loud music. These tactics proved to be successful, disrupting the “covert� actions and demoralizing many volunteers, who trickled away one by one, through the night. Frustrated vigilantes threatened some activists with violence. On a videotape made by one group of counter-protesters, the bigots can be heard saying, “You come down here and you will be engaged in a firefight.�

Chase claims that his group’s goal is to assist the Border Patrol in apprehending “illegal immigrants, drug smugglers and al-Qaeda terrorists with dirty bombs.� But his real aim is scapegoating.

At a time of growing frustration and anger over stagnant wages, an unjust war and attacks on public services, Chase hopes to stir up a cloud of racism and anti-immigrant hatred. Like the border fence itself, the BPA’s true purpose is to create a climate of fear that will terrorize the 11 million undocumented immigrants whose underpaid labor makes life possible for every “legal� American, including Chase.

If left unopposed, the BPA’s politics of hate will intensify the already chilling effects of federal immigration policy. Bill Clinton’s Operation Gatekeeper militarized the border, funded the construction of the border fence and has driven more than 3,200 immigrants to their deaths in deserts like the one around Campo. Now, Congress is considering George Bush’s proposed guest worker program that would allow Latin American immigrants to work in the U.S., but deny them full access to citizenship rights and public services.

This is why it is so important to continue protesting the actions of anti-immigrant groups like the BPA, the Minutemen and Save Our State.

Gente Unida is planning a region-wide mobilization to the border town of El Centro on September 16--the date for the next “Border Watch,� called by another chapter of the "California Minutemen," the Chino-based "Friends of the Border Patrol.� Immigrant rights activists hope to build a large cross-border protest--one that draws out thousands and turns the tide on the racist Minutemen.

Jocelyn Blake, William Figueroa and Justin Akers contributed to this story.

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First Hand Accounts:

Hi All,
Yep we're here. Had TWO riots (big ones), and several smaller ones
throughout the day in the field. Had one early Tuesday morning out
in the field, by Navarro's goons... they never got closer than 75
yards from us, as even they knew we were "locked and loaded". They
stood off at three thirty in the morning and "shot their mouths
off." Then God sent a Kamikazee(divine wind) that blew loose dirt in
their eyes, as they were down wind from us at that time, so they
left. With a few parting curses, they withdrew to their crummy
ghetto of tents on the side of a hill, out in the barren dirt( only
place the BLM would let them pitch them). It's 107 in the shade, and
there is NO Shade! They melted the first day. All but 5 of them
were gone by this morning. A big red ambulance they were using to
try and run us off the road with was towed after being left on a road
somewhere. We repelled about two hundred Illegals from getting over
the barricades last night/this morning. Most of us are running on
about 2-3 hours of sleep /night right now. Some old lady has donated
us a "beast" named "Goliath", (a big old Chevy suburban with huge
double pipe bumpers and brush guards. She als donated about 20 cases
of water, and took us out to eat at the Barrett Lake Cafe, a small
mountain restaurant noted for its "all you can eat" fish and hush
puppies dinners. The old lady is donating another vehicle for us to
use in patrolling. Did I tell you the Goliath comes with a driver
too? Yep. Goliath and big bird chased Illegals from our position
for about 5-6 miles( about a third of the way to Tecate, Mexico).
Monday night Big Bob was renamed"Mother Hen" by myself. One of his
new men got lost. He just took off into the brush like a new bird
dog. About every half hour Big Bob would come on the radios looking
for the man to show up or be spotted, just like a mamma hen looking
for a lost baby chick, hence the name,"mamma hen." When the new man
finallyshowed up(51/2 hours later, Bob told him he was dumber than a
rock! The guy had traveled about 3 miles into MEXICO while
being "lost". I don't know if Jim C. or Big Bob told him NOT to come
back!
Further reports to follow in the days to come,
Junction Jim, from the Mexican Border at Campo
--------------------

REPORT

Campo was interesting, I arrived after all the day time confrontations had taken place where the protestors outnumbered our crowd.
The protestors were quite confrontational as we have seen in the past, night time was a different game though. Sitting at base camp in the dessert, just ten feet from the border fence, there were concerns that we might be attacked by the violent illegal lovers, anarchists and criminals that had come to be disruptive of our efforts. We found that they had a sizeable presence at their camp. They had been monitoring the radio frequency channels used by our group on frs radios.
Discussions among group members, including one that had been attacked by these criminals as he attempted to leave his vehicle at the VFW building centered on what to do if attacked. We did not want to be overrun and have them walk in our midst doing more than they did during the day. As the night rolled on all USBP agents and sheriff's left and we were left with no police of any kind to restrain these people from visiting any kind of criminal act upon us. We had just a few of us with
weapons. It became obvious that the threat to us was real and that we were alone. Suddenly, in the still of the night on a hill above us the criminals appeared with a giant search light and started playing loud music over some type of sound system on their vehicle. They made remarks etcetera. One of our members, a man with a rifle a bullhorn and a hand gun, barked out a warning to the criminals. "We are armed and will defend ourselves if attacked. I am going up to confront you, in the event that you fire upon me you will be engaged in a firefight. This is not the VFW. " The criminals responded: this is going on cnn, cbs, abc."
Our man responded "your mother can go on cnn, I'm coming up mother****ers". We heard their doors open , close and they left as they spotted the guy with the rifle and understood that it was real."
They would return a few more times that night shouting "I am unarmed",
and then would proceed with the lights and music, but they never came down the hill into our midst, they knew that it really could hit the fan. They received no replies to the three more times they engaged in their stupidity. Had they started to come down the Hill, the shooting would have begun in defense of our base camp and its occupants.
I am proud to have been there to partake of it.
Frank


July 22-23, 2005: 7pm - Dawn Shift

As a Minutewoman, I had previously only observed at human smuggling sites. The July 22 -23 observance was at the Jacumba, CA border - drug running territory.

Jacumba, CA is about an hour and half drive from San Diego, CA.

About 30 Minutemen in caravan formation, entered the area. We had trained military Minutemen/women with us.

Section of fence by our site - a three year old could pass through this open-post fence.


Seven Minutemen camps were set up along the dirt road, next to the border fence. Covering about a 14 block area. (Normally one border patrol agents covers a 5 mile area in Campo.)

We had a highly trained, special operations guy at our site. Our team was five in number.

We were in front of a ranch-styled home, situated in a gully, on 94 acres. But this American home - quarter of a block from the border - appears to actually be a drug running operation.

It was sunset. We were setting up our camp.

When a man on the American side, with a rifle slung over one shoulder and a big, black shiny dog, walked behind us and then down the hill.

He was probably about 60 years old.

The man walked to the next Minuteman site, where Stu, a Minuteman Leader, was stationed.



Soon after we were settled, another man appeared. This man was younger and spoke to us in English. He was hostile. He had a gun on his hip.

He said we were on his ranch. And to get off of his property. We moved our camp from the hillside down to the public road.

But we were still stationed in front of the ranch house.


When it was dark, the Mexican houses had no lights. They were completely dark, including the white hacienda/compound.

As we were reviewing our plan for the night, we heard noise coming from the Mexican side.

The special ops guy on our team, checked it out. Right in line with the American ranch-styled home, there was a two story green house on the Mexican side of the border, beyond that, maybe 4 blocks, was a mansion.

A white hacienda. With a tall wall enclosing it. It looked like a white fortress. Out in the middle of nowhere.

This sign in Spanish warns crossers, barely inside the U.S., that it's dangerous - no drinking water and of flash flooding possibilities. The sign is rusty, leaning, and about ready to fall over. Do you think this sign will stop drug runners?

On all previous Minuteman observances I had been on, Border Patrol Agents and Sheriffs cruise by periodically. Often stopped to talk.

But in this drug running section, not one Border Patrol Agent or Sheriff ever drove by. Only Minutemen observed.

One group of military-trained Minutemen were in a big, camouflage SUV. They had about four guys riding on top of the roof of the vehicle with spotlights and other equipment.

They patrolled the road during the entire shift. They would show up at a MM site with just a moment's notice via radio.

In our section, the American ranch house went dark around midnight. We had disrupted their flow of trade for the evening. We remained stationed in front of the ranch house, on the public road.

At about 1:00 AM, I somehow accidentally set off my car alarm. My car lights flashed, the horn honked.

Minutemen from all down the line rushed to our site, as shown in the photos above.

Minutemen took the false alarm opportunity to socialize for a few minutes and compare notes from the night's observance.

At around 2 AM, a storm with lightening and heavy rain began to get very ferocious. The danger of a flash flood caused us to break camp and cut our night observance short.

So about 30 Minutemen, July 22nd, did our best to defend our nation, at one small section of very, very porous border.

PROTESTERS

Protesters were at the Jacumba area during our observance. However, our team was too far up the line to experience their presence. But they were there.

The Minutemen surreptiously moved to the Jacumba area - protesters had assumed we would be at the Campo, border fence.

Tori and I arrived at the VFW around noon on Sat. We checked in and waited for our assignment.
We were informed there would be a meeting at 5:00 PM.
We chated with other MM as we were waiting. After about an hour, Jim Woods headed back to his command post.
Tori and I and a few other MM went along with Jim. We sat around the camp chatting until time to return to VFW for the meeting with Jim Chase and find out what camp we would be stationed at.
Durning Jim Chase speech, he informed us that Armando Navarro would be charged for the assault he committed the previous week-end at the VFW. We all cheered loudly. Then he informed us that Navarro would lose his tenture at UCR.
That just really made our day.
After the meeting, Jim would ask for a certain amount of volunteers for such and such command post.
Tori and I both volunteered for Jim Woods command watch. along with several other MM. I believe there were around ten of us.
When we first arrived at our command post, we were litterly shocked at the condition of the fence that is suppose to prevent illegal aliens from entering our Country. "THAT FENCE IS NOTHING MORE THAN A SICK JOKE"
( I am going to send invitaions to every elected official I can to take a tour along this so called fence. would like to encourage all of you to do the same.)
Illegal aliens, terrorist, weapons drugs and WMD can cross the border with absolutely no hinderance just about any place they so desire. If they do encounter a fence all they have to do is walk a few feet to the left or right to find an opening in the fence or "NO FENCE AT ALL"
We would take walks along the fence, we could see for many miles across Mexico.
Beautiful country. The flora and fauna were awesome. Just breathtaking.
Among all that beauty illegal aliens would be hiding in the bushes just waiting for the oppertunity to cross the border.
Jim Gilchrist stopped by our post for a short visit with his body guards and Lucus.
Later on in the evening Jim Chase came to our post to inform us that the pro illegal watchers were planning an attack at our site. Jim escourted us to the next command post to a short distance away.
He requested that all women be moved to the command post ay Jcuba where he thought it would be safer. Tori and I decided not to go. We wanted to support our fellow patroits.
We circled the wagons (automobiles) and waited for the enemy to show up. It didn't take very long before we saw their lights approaching. We all took our positions.
When they had us surrounded and the call was put out for re-enforcements, they were there in the blink of an eye. Very professional. I would be proud to have the MMP covering my behind in any battle.
We were given strict orders not to respond to their threats in anyway what-so-ever, no matter what they said or did.
They did everything within their power to provoke us, calling us names, threating us and saying things like "come over here let me rape you" or come here and suck my d**k. in the presence of a very small child.
They even had that child approx. four or five years old, holding a flashlight shinning it into our eyes.
You would not believe the restraint that we showed. It made me proud to be standing side by side with my fellow"American Patroits."
After their unsucessful attempt at provoking us into an all out war. They returned to their base camp.
A couple of hours later they returned, more hostile than before. They must have got high on something before they returned.
They wanted a fight and did everything they possibley could to provoke one. Even making death threats.
As I was standing there resisting all their taunting one of them came right up to my face and said to me. "WE know where Gilchrist lives and we are going to come and kill him.
I located Jim and told him what he had said and Jim had me point out the person to him, which I did.
There was a young lady in our group saw the man right in my face saying something and she came to see what was going on. I told her what he said. She immediently found someone with a camera that got pictures of that person.
Later Tori observed that same man place something on the ground. After the police finelly disbursed that mob, Tori and I went to see what he had placed on the ground. It was the same shirt that he had on when he was in my face making the threat against Gilchrist. We picked the shirt up and I brought it home with me.
The exact wording on the shirt. "Reward All Minutemen wanted in IRAQ
specially Leaders Chris Simcoy and Jim Gilchrist for Border crimes."
There was a Sherrif just standing there watching the mob. I went up to him and told him about the threat the person made against Gilchrist. He just gave me a dirty look and continued standing there watching the mob but doing nothing about it.
Later on That same person was leaving in his car and I saw a sheriff go up to the car and after a sort time he placed that person under arrest.
We all cheered as loud as we could. One woman from their side said. You cheer a false arrest?
Tori and I left around 4:00 AM on our long journey back to San Bernardino. We were extremely tired. We did rest up in Oceanside for a couple of hours.
I want to thank Tori for giving me a ride to Campo. It was an experience I will never forget.
I will be going back as soon and as often as I possibly can.
Our borders are in grave condition. Any "American" that loves their Country needs to be at the border protecting our Country while we still have a Country.
M