Thread: U.S. Governments betrayal of Minutemen

US agency reports legal citizen activity to a foreign power. – WHY?

U.S. tipping Mexico to Minuteman patrols

By Sara A. Carter, Staff Writer
http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_3799653

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."


This is the bulletin I recieved from the Minutemens site today. This is just the beginning, first they justify doing this, next it will be ALL illegal immigration activists they will be after. Gear up and do all you can to make these agencies do right and be totally ashamed of their treason to the American people. They have put us all in direct danger.

It's bad enough having open borders groups trying to stop the efforts of the Minutemen, but now the border patrol is doing it too?

our government is as busy as a little bee working against the American people -- where are the articles of impeachment, charges of treason?

My husband and I drove into San Diego from Arizona last night, and as we came through the border checkpoint, we were stopped and asked by the border patrol agent if we had anything in the trunk of our car. My husband said, "No", so the border patrol agent said, "Okay, have a nice night."

I honestly expected him to ask my husband to open the trunk, but he just waved us by.

U.S. Border Patrol is SUCH A STUPID JOKE. I'm tired of being treated like an idiot!

post removed by JuniusJnr as offensive

carsan, regardless of your feelings about Bush, that kind of talk here, I find sick and offensive. I'd personally appreciate a cleaner way to voice your disgust with Bush.

My husband and I drove into San Diego from Arizona last night, and as we came through the border checkpoint, we were stopped and asked by the border patrol agent if we had anything in the trunk of our car. My husband said, "No", so the border patrol agent said, "Okay, have a nice night."

Carrie, I've been waved across the Mexican border that same way.

We will go through the checkpoint at SierraBlanca soon. I'm curious if things have tightened up there any. The border patrol just got a couple of women yesterday with $325,000 worth of marijuana in jalapeno pepper cans!

George Bush is a traitor, a thief and a liar. He deserves a military court martial and to spend the rest of his life in a military prison where there are plenty of mexicans to keep him company.

Being waved through the checkpoint by the border patrol is a dual threat.
Not only could they have waved through illegals, but they could also have waved through dirty bombs or anthrax or any number of additional problems. This is disgusting.

This morning, when I heard that the US Border Patrol had notified the government of Mexico about the locations of our brave Minutemen, I nearly had a coronary. What's next? I shudder to think!!!

I just read a statement by a minuteman on a site and it seemed so sad to me. He said, "we are standing here for all the ones that are not yet brave enough to stand with us". They are on the streets getting beat up for all americans, traveling across the nation, standing on the border risking their lives and being betrayed by their own government. I feel ashamed that I am not doing anything to support these brave souls. I think the government is doing this because their organization is growing as people are becoming more aware of the problem, the government does not want this organization to be successful and grow. It is ok for the illegals to have all the support from corporate america, the government and organizations, but they don't like any group that represents the citizens of this country.