http://www.yumasun.com/news/border_4817 ... _pima.html

Yuma area so far escaping violence seen elsewhere along border

February 24, 2009 - 6:30 PM
FROM STAFF AND CRONKITE NEWS SERVICE REPORTS

While Pima and Cochise counties are reporting seeing what lawmakers say are signs that border violence is increasingly Arizona’s problem, it isn't happening to that extent yet here in the Yuma area.

"There is no clear indication that it is happening here, but whether it does or not, it is being anticipated," said agent Michael Espinoza, a spokesman for the Yuma Sector Border Patrol. "It is something that can't be predicted."

According to Espinoza, violence along the border in the Yuma sector has actually decreased over the past fiscal year.

Espinoza said vehicle incursions are down 59 percent, apprehensions are down 58 percent and assaults on agents have also gone down.

He said last week's seizure of 3,623 pounds of marijuana was an indication that the Yuma Sector has improved border security in the area by adding more manpower, infrastructure and technology.

"I would like to say we are doing our job here in either preventing or slowing down the drugs coming through this area," Espinoza said.

Pima and Cochise counties are reporting seeing more and more ‘‘rape trees,’’ places where Mexican drug cartel members rape female border crossers and hang their clothes, as a sign that border violence is increasing.

"You can see the desperation of drug traffickers now," Espinoza said. "This recent border violence started more than a year ago. It has been getting a lot of media attention recently and people are starting to get worried."

Sen. Jonathan Paton, R-Tucson, this week invited law enforcement officials to describe the problems to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which he chairs. With seized weapons on display, the officials described how border violence plays out in human smuggling, home invasions, rapes, auto thefts, kidnappings and danger to law enforcement.

Paton said violence along the border has escalated dramatically in the past year, spilling into Arizona.

‘‘We want to go after these crimes,’’ he said before the hearing. ‘‘It’s an unbelievable situation, and we can’t allow that to go on in this country.’’

Attorney General Terry Goddard pointed to a .50-caliber rifle with a tripod mount as he described some of the weaponry law officers face as they deal with the fallout of drug violence.

‘‘Those bullets pierce armor,’’ he said. ‘‘They will go through armor, and they will go through tanks.’’

Calling the fight against drug cartels the organized crime issue of this century, Goddard described operations related to drug smuggling. One last year, dubbed Operation Tumbleweed, led to 59 arrests and broke up a ring believed to have smuggled 400,000 pounds of marijuana into the U.S. annually for several years.

‘‘To be effective against this threat, law enforcement must be coordinated on the state, local and federal level,’’ he said.

Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall said the problem is immense.

‘‘What we see here is an international and national issue that far exceeds the capacity of the state Legislature to handle in any meaningful way,’’ she said.

Paton is sponsoring SB 1280, which would make knowingly harboring an illegal immigrant a felony, and SB 1282, under which those who facilitate transportation, money transfers or communication for smugglers would be prosecuted along with them.

SB 1281, also sponsored by Paton, would include in the definition of sex trafficking coercing someone into stripping or other commercial sex acts.

None of Paton’s bills has been heard in committee as the Senate focuses on the budget.
Paton said he would travel to Mexico next month to discuss the problem.
‘‘It makes a lot of sense for us to cooperate with Mexico,’’ he said.

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Staff Writer James Gilbert contributed to this report.