Thread: Violence prompts strong warning at Ariz. monument

Violence prompts strong warning at Ariz. monument
By Jacques Billeaud June 16, 2010 8:16 AM

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sonoran desert

PHOENIX (AP) -- An increase in smuggling violence at the Sonoran Desert National Monument about 80 miles south of Phoenix has prompted a stronger warning to visitors about drug and immigrant traffickers passing through the public lands, officials said Tuesday.

The monument and three other federal lands in Arizona already have signs warning visitors that they may encounter smugglers. But 11 new signs have recently been erected and two more were planned at the Sonoran Desert National Monument.

The new signs warn visitors about speeding smuggling vehicles and instruct them to walk away when seeing something suspicious and avoid abandoned vehicles and backpacks because they might contain drugs stashed there by smugglers.

Tom Lister, the Bureau of Land Management's chief law enforcement ranger in Arizona, said authorities felt a stronger warning was needed because the area is near where a Pinal County deputy was shot in a confrontation with marijuana smugglers in April and where two men suspected of being involved in smuggling were fatally shot earlier this month.

Signs warning visitors of smugglers have been put up in the past in southern Arizona at the Sonoran Desert National Monument, Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and Coronado National Forest.

The new signs were erected at the Sonoran Desert National Monument's access points south of Interstate 8 between Casa Grande and Gila Bend.

While the monument isn't located directly on the border, it's used as a pathway for traffickers headed to Phoenix, a busy hub for moving illegal immigrants and marijuana across the United States.

Smuggling at the monument declined from 2005 through 2008 but is picking up again, Lister said.

Authorities said they weren't telling visitors to stay out of the monument, though the new signs encourage people to use the monument's lands north of the interstate.

Read more: http://www.gopusa.com/news/2010/06/viol ... z0r3sJjym9

Our country is being invaded by freeloading bugs, drug cartels and terrorists aided and abetted by Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Bennie Thompson, Joe Lieberman, Janet Napolitano, Eric Holder and Barak Obama who are sitting with their thumbs up their asses during a so called war on terror.

You forgot John McCain, who has fought every year for them...until now just to save his political "career". I am moving to Phoenix soon, one of the first things I am going to do is register to vote, just so I can vote against him in the primary.

So we will slowly cede land to Mexico because of their criminal acts?

Off limits to Americans but open to criminals ?

We all knew this was going to happen. The question is will someone make them take the signs down because HLS thinks there is no crime on AZ.

It's not just lands along the border that are becoming dangerous for Americans. Our cities and towns throughout the country have been invaded by violent illegals and our federal government will do nothing to help our citizens.

Bill O'Reilly just covered this with the sheriff from Penal Co.

Related Post

U.S. Land near Mexico border closed off due to violence
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-203044.html

The U.S. Gov: giving parts of Arizona back to Mexico?
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-203018.html

Originally Posted by justme

We all knew this was going to happen. The question is will someone make them take the signs down because HLS thinks there is no crime on AZ.

Napolitano doesn't even think illegal immigration is a crime "per se".

Dixie

Originally Posted by Dixie

Originally Posted by justme

We all knew this was going to happen. The question is will someone make them take the signs down because HLS thinks there is no crime on AZ.

Napolitano doesn't even think illegal immigration is a crime "per se".

Dixie

and isnt it funny that she ordered guards to the border right after Richardson in NM ordered them back in 06 or 07. she claimed to know then how bad it was.