Thread: U.S. tipping Mexico to Minuteman patrols

U.S. tipping Mexico to Minuteman patrols
By Sara A. Carter, Staff Writer

While Minuteman civilian patrols are keeping an eye out for illegal border crossers, the U.S. Border Patrol is keeping an eye out for Minutemen -- and telling the Mexican government where they are.
According to three documents on the Mexican Secretary of Foreign Relations Web site, the U.S. Border Patrol is to notify the Mexican government as to the location of Minutemen and other civilian border patrol groups when they participate in apprehending illegal immigrants -- and if and when violence is used against border crossers.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman confirmed the notification process, describing it as a standard procedure meant to reassure the Mexican government that migrants' rights are being observed.

"It's not a secret where the Minuteman volunteers are going to be," Mario Martinez said Monday.

"This ... simply makes two basic statements -- that we will not allow any lawlessness of any type, and that if an alien is encountered by a Minuteman or arrested by the Minuteman, then we will allow that government to interview the person."

Minuteman members were not so sanguine about the arrangement, however, saying that reporting their location to Mexican officials nullifies their effectiveness along the border and could endanger their lives.

"Now we know why it seemed like Mexican officials knew where we were all the time," said Chris Simcox, founder of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps. "It's unbelievable that our own government agency is sending intelligence to another country. They are sending intelligence to a nation where corruption runs rampant, and that could be getting into the hands of criminal cartels.

"They just basically endangered the lives of American people."

Officials with the Mexican consulate in Washington, D.C., could not be reached for comment Monday.

Martinez said reporting the location of immigrant apprehensions to consulate representatives is common practice if an illegal immigrant requests counsel or believes they have been mistreated.

"Once an illegal alien is apprehended, they can request counsel," he said. "We have to give their counsel the information about their apprehension, and that includes where they are apprehended, whether a Minuteman volunteer spotted them or a citizen."

Martinez said Mexico's official perception of the civilian groups is that they are vigilantes, a belief the Border Patrol hoped to allay by entering into the cooperative agreement.

One of the documents on the Web site, "Actions of the Mexican Government in Relation to the Activities of Vigilante Groups," states that Mexican consulate representatives stay in close contact with Border Patrol chiefs to ensure the safety of migrants trying to enter the U.S., those being detained and the actions of all "vigilantes" along the border.

"The Mexican consul in Presidio also contacted the chief of the Border Patrol in the Marfa Sector to solicit his cooperation in case they detect any activity of `vigilantes,' and was told to immediately contact the consulate if there was," according to the document.

"Presidio" refers to Presidio County, Texas, which is in the Big Bend region and a gateway to northern Mexico.

The document also describes a meeting with San Diego Border Patrol sector chief Darryl Griffen.

"(Griffen) said that the Border Patrol will not permit any violence or any actions contrary to the law by the groups, and he is continuously aware of (the volunteer organizations') operations," according to the document. "Mr. Griffen reiterated to the undersecretary his promise to notify the General Consul right away when the vigilantes detain or participate in the detention of any undocumented Mexicans."

The documents specifically named the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps and its patrols, which began monitoring Arizona's southern border in April 2005, as well as Friends of the Border Patrol, a Chino-based nonprofit.

TJ Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a union representing more than 10,000 Border Patrol agents, said agents have complained for years about the Mexican consulate's influence over the agency.

"It worries me (that the Mexican government) seems to be unduly influencing our enforcement policies. That's not a legitimate role for any foreign nation," Bonner said, though he added, "It doesn't surprise me."

Border Patrol agents interviewed by the Daily Bulletin said they have been asked to report to sector headquarters the location of all civilian volunteer groups, but to not file the groups' names in reports if they spot illegal immigrants.

"Last year an internal memo notified all agents not to give credit to Minuteman volunteers or others who call in sightings of illegal aliens," said one agent, who spoke on the condition he not be identified. "We were told to list it as a citizen call and leave it at that. Many times, we were told not to go out to Minuteman calls."

The document also mentions locations of field operations of Friends of the Border Patrol, which patrolled the San Diego sector from June to November 2005. Mexican officials had access to the exact location of the group founded by Andy Ramirez, which ran its patrols from the Rough Acre Ranch, a private property in McCain Valley.

Ramirez said that for safety reasons, he disclosed the location of his ranch patrol only to San Diego Border Patrol and law enforcement officials. The group did not apprehend or spot any undocumented migrants in that area.

"We did not release this information ... to the media or anyone else," Ramirez said. "We didn't want to publicize that information. But there it is, right on the Mexican government's Web site, and our government gave it to them."

# http://dailybulletin.com/news/ci_3799653

UNACCEPTABLE FOLKS!

Yup, i was thinking the same thing though iam wondering why? When the BP have been supportive of the MM. It doesnt make sense when there has been alot of support for the MM.

T

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/stat ... atrol.html

U.S. notifying Mexico of civilian border patrol locations
2:54 a.m. May 9, 2006

LOS ANGELES – The U.S. Border Patrol is alerting the Mexican government to the locations of civilian border patrol groups when the organizations help detain suspected illegal immigrants or use violence against them, according to a published report.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Mario Martinez told the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin of Ontario that the policy is meant to assure the Mexican government that migrants' rights are being observed.

The policy pertains to groups including the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps and the Friends of the Border Patrol, a Chino-based nonprofit.
“It's not a secret where the Minuteman volunteers are going to be,” Martinez said Monday. “This ... simply makes two basic statements – that we will not allow any lawlessness of any type, and that if an alien is encountered by a Minuteman or arrested by the Minuteman, then we will allow that government to interview the person.”

Minuteman members, however, said the Border Patrol's policy negates the private group's effectiveness and could endanger their lives.

“Now we know why it seemed like Mexican officials knew where we were all the time,” said Chris Simcox, the organization's founder. “It's unbelievable that our own government agency is sending intelligence to another country. They are sending intelligence to a nation where corruption runs rampant, and that could be getting into the hands of criminal cartels.”

The Daily Bulletin said it was unable to reach officials with the Mexican consulate in Washington, D.C. on Monday.

TJ Bonner, president of the Border Patrol agents' union, said members have long complained that the Mexican government has undue influence over U.S. enforcement policies.

“That's not a legitimate role for any foreign nation,” Bonner said

This is unbelievable to me!

I have been such a staunch supporter of the President on the war on terror, but on this matter he seems completely disinterested...and that is frightening.

Now, with this news of the Border Patrol informing the mexican government of the whereabouts of our Minutemen so that invaders can avoid being caught...well that's completely unacceptable and I am outraged! It borders on treason if you ask me. At the very least, it is a betrayal of the security of American citizens, and isn't that a form of treason? (look it up and see for yourself)

If you haven't already...join me in sending donations to the MinuteMen & ALIPAC, and in flooding the email servers and phone lines of Capitol Hill http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_i ... rs_cfm.cfm demanding that they either do something or face being voted out of office!

It is we the people whose responsibility it is to fix this problem. Because our government, even the Republicans, apparently have no interest in doing so.

God Bless America.

Welcome, adonijah! It is deplorable! Not only is our government refusing to do its duty to protect our borders but they are endangering the lives of our citizens who have every right to observe what's going on. Our government has wasted billions on ineffective border patrol all the while thousands of illegals stream across our border unchecked everyday.

Anyone have a good contact number or address for Border Patrol so we can let them know what we think of their collaboration with people flagrantly violating our sovereignty?

Originally Posted by concernedmother

Anyone have a good contact number or address for Border Patrol so we can let them know what we think of their collaboration with people flagrantly violating our sovereignty?

Use this.

http://www.americanpatrol.com/BP/Contac ... 40614.html

Don't give up. Pass this link on to anyone you know who wants to do something and wants to tell those in charge how we feel about our country losing territory, healthcare, jobs and security. This fight is just beginning.

Originally Posted by adonijah

Originally Posted by concernedmother

Anyone have a good contact number or address for Border Patrol so we can let them know what we think of their collaboration with people flagrantly violating our sovereignty?

Use this.

http://www.americanpatrol.com/BP/Contac ... 40614.html

Don't give up. Pass this link on to anyone you know who wants to do something and wants to tell those in charge how we feel about our country losing territory, healthcare, jobs and security. This fight is just beginning.

That contact information might be a little outdated. It was posted in June 2004 and seems to relate to incidents with Border Patrol in CA.

An interview from March 2006 with T J Bonnner, president of National Border Patrol Council (quoted in original post).
--------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.federaltimes.com/index.php?S=1590225
Lax immigration policies foil agents’ best efforts
March 10, 2006


T. J. Bonner is president of the National
Border Patrol Council, a union that
is part of the American Federation of
Government Employees.
Photo by M. Scott Mahaskey/Federal Times


Being a Border Patrol agent today is different in many ways from 1978, when T.J. Bonner was still learning the ropes in Campo, Calif., in San Diego County near the Mexican border.

The job was exciting and challenging then, said Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a union that is part of the American Federation of Government Employees and represents about 12,000 agents. Border Patrol agents had a lot more freedom back then to track illegal immigrants — sometimes for days at a time.

Now, agents are ordered to stay put in one spot on the border to scare aliens away — a failed policy, Bonner said, because it doesn’t solve the illegal immigration problem and has essentially made agents targets of shootings and other violence.

But one thing remains unchanged, Bonner said. The government is as unwilling today to take the problem of illegal immigration seriously as it was then.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff plans to tighten the borders by speeding the deportation of captured illegal aliens, deploying more detection technology such as sensors and unmanned aerial vehicles and establishing a temporary worker program to allow some illegal aliens to legally work in the country.

Chertoff’s plans — and the White House’s pledge to hire 1,500 more Border Patrol agents in fiscal 2007 — will change nothing unless the government truly cracks down on those who employ illegal immigrants, Bonner said. Until the market for cheap labor dries up, migrants will find ways to slip across the border, and the work of the Border Patrol will be in vain, he said.

“It really depends whether you’re serious about worksite enforcement,” Bonner said. “You can put millions of agents out there, and it won’t stop anything. But if you take away the employment magnet, you can [secure the border against terrorists and criminals] with about 25,000, 30,000 agents.”

Chertoff wants to add 650 investigators and enforcement agents to Immigration and Customs Enforcement to investigate and prosecute employers of illegal immigrants. Homeland Security also wants Congress to toughen penalties for employers who violate the law, as well as make it easier for employers to check the immigration status of their employees.

Bonner said the problem is far broader than a few hundred more investigators and agents can solve. Nothing short of counterfeit-proof identity cards embedded with photographs and biometric information for every citizen or person authorized to work in the United States will deter employers from hiring illegal aliens, he said.

Bonner became president of the council in 1989. He discussed border violence, citizen organizations monitoring the border, and his frustration at the government’s inability to punish human smugglers with Federal Times on March 1.

Q: Are you satisfied with what the Homeland Security Department is doing to make things safer for Border Patrol agents?

Bonner: Unfortunately, they’re doing very little. The so-called strategy of deterrence, where we have agents sitting right along the border, is an open invitation to people to throw rocks at them, to throw Molotov cocktails at them, to shoot at them. So no one should be all that surprised that the number of assaults has increased dramatically. The strategy hasn’t changed. It’s not deterring a single soul from crossing that border. The number of apprehensions continues to increase, and the number of “got-aways,” likewise.

Q: What should be done to decrease violence and replace the deterrence policy?

Bonner: You have to recognize first and foremost why people cross the border: jobs. Eventually they will make it, if they’re determined enough. When you eliminate the 98 percent of people coming across looking for work, then you’re able to modify your tactics substantially, which would make the job safer. Eliminating the laborers from the pool of people coming across virtually ensures the people coming across are up to no good of some sort. It’s much less likely those criminals are going to shoot it out with law enforcement. Now their choice is, “Do I go to prison, or do I take out this lone Border Patrol agent?” The choice should be, “Do I go to prison, or do I die trying to shoot it out with 24 heavily armed federal agents?”

Q: What about Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff’s plan to tighten border security?

Bonner: They’re very heavily focused on technology. Too heavily focused. When you spend $14 million for a single UAV, which is of limited utility — UAVs don’t swoop down and apprehend illegal aliens. Cameras are good to identify someone as they cross the border, but then they’re gone. The only thing that catches people are agents. But most importantly, what do you do with people when you catch them? If the only thing you’ll do is send them back to try again, then you can’t win that game.

It’s terrible for national security. If these laborers can get across so easily, think about how easy it is for criminals and terrorists. They’re much better financed, and they’re trained in evasion and escape.

Q: Have civilian groups like the Minutemen that monitor the borders looking for illegal aliens had a positive effect, or have they made things difficult for Border Patrol agents?

Bonner: I think they have had a positive effect by focusing attention on the problem. We’ve been complaining about this for years, and it never got any attention. They started essentially demonstrating on the border. They wanted to make that statement that if the federal government isn’t going to do this, private citizens need to step in. Sometimes they’ve helped out by pointing out groups of illegal aliens.

Q: What drew you to the Border Patrol?

Bonner: It was very interesting. But we had more freedom once upon a time. Now, many of the agents are forced to sit in one spot for the entire eight- or 10-hour shift. Which is about as boring as you can get. You’re not allowed to chase the people who get by you on the theory that if you leave, you’ll let more people in. But that defies the theory of a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Most agents were waiting after 9/11 for different marching orders to come down, that we were finally going to get serious about the borders, but it never happened. Today it is downright dangerous. It lets millions of people slip by every year — and you can’t assume no terrorists will slip through.

Q: What has changed?

Bonner: There are very few prosecutions because now the objective is, let’s catch them at the border instead of waiting for them to get in a load vehicle, and catching the driver and the smuggler. It’s not as challenging as it used to be. Because we’re cops at heart, and cops like putting people in jail. When you say you’re going to catch people and send them back, it feels squishy. It’s like social work.

In Campo, you tracked people. You’d drive up and down dirt roads looking for footprints or evidence something crossed through. Sometimes people brush out footprints, sometimes they put down rugs, sometimes they’d use a plank. But everything leaves a little bit of evidence. There’s nothing that compares to the challenge of tracking human beings who know they’re being followed and are trying to throw you off the trail.

Of all the cases I prosecuted, the one that I got the largest conviction out of was for parrot smuggling in the early 1980s. A guy brought in 210 yellow-naped Amazon parrots who happened to have Newcastle disease and had to be destroyed. The guy got 25 years in federal prison.

But the most time any human smuggler ever received was 15 years — and that’s because one of the women in his load died of exposure to the elements.

Most smugglers get time served — two or three days. It shows how inconsequential human smuggling was and continues to be.

It’s very frustrating. It’s our job to keep people out of the country, but our government doesn’t take it that seriously.

Neil Boortz, on his radio show, was incredibly angry about this affair.

He ranted and raved and did a fine job of making his feelings known.

But, whaddya' expect?

The USA is in the middle of class warfare. You can not, in any way, believe the federal government represents the common folks or the country as a whole.

Only special classes are truly represented and if their interests clash with yours..... well, know your place and stay there, commoner.... for you are nothing.

Obey your betters and be a good little boy or girl.