Fences, Ditches and Smuggling

Minutemen to build Arizona - Mexico Fence

The Problem:
Understanding the illegal immigration problem:

* Illegal immigration into the United States is out of control, particularly across our southern border.

* Several members of Congress and Governors have declared states of emergency.

* The problem is not merely the number of illegal immigrants. In addition to the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants from Central and South America, there are several hundreds, perhaps thousands, of illegal aliens from countries that sponsor terrorism or harbor terrorists entering the United States each year across our border with Mexico. Thus, it is a national security issue as well as an immigration issue.


The Solution:
Why is a fence the right solution?

* A secure, state-of-the-art border fence must be one element of any comprehensive effort to address the illegal immigration problem. Similar fences in Israel have reduced terrorist attacks by up to 95%.

* Until the border is secured and the tide of illegal immigration is stemmed, proposals to adjust immigration quotas, whether up or down, are doomed to ineffectiveness.

* A border fence is entirely compatible with a guest worker program. In fact, a guest worker program would be reduced to irrelevance without such a fence.

Link


San Diego at night.



Tijuana River Valley Regional Park in the County of San Diego:

The triple fence is just what that name implies. The southernmost fence is constructed of steel plate and is about eight feet high. The second fence is constructed even of massive concrete columns 10 feet high and spaced not more than a few inches apart and all topped with fine mesh chain link fencing which is tilting towards Mexico.

This secondary fence was placed here because Mexicans were using fully laden heavy trucks to crash the older barriers and enter the United States with loads of cocaine. This second fence has been designed to stop any vehicle weighing up to about 40,000 pounds and traveling at even 50 miles per hour. The terrain south of this barrier is such that speeds of even 15 miles per hour are excessive.

Much of this second fence system is planted many feet into the ground so that tunneling beneath it is far more difficult. That is not to say tunnels are not popular. An average of about five tunnels are discovered right in this area every year.

One recent tunnel was connected to an existing storm drain on the U.S. side of the border. Huge plastic wrapped bricks of cocaine were then handed out the curb-side storm drain inlet to a waiting van. One smuggler’s arm would stick out of the storm drain and hand the block of cocaine to another arm sticking out of the bottom of the van. These entrepreneurs just draped a dirty bed sheet along the bottom of the van so that no one would see them at work.

Other tunnels have included narrow gauge railways (with steel tracks) and lighting, and even high volume fans to blow in fresh air. Some of these special tunnels have been even a quarter mile long.

The Border Patrol has tried all sorts of things to “detect” these tunnels. One problem they have is the soil along here is high in clay content and that makes some of the “detectors” ineffective. Another problem they have is that protecting our borders is not funded because it would be mean spirited to protect our borders.

Some of the tunnels built over the last few years were more than a quarter mile long and wide enough to bring a quarter megaton nuclear warhead into America. Since these special tunnels cost even a million dollars to build, there is no lack of money, interest or intent here, only in the selection of the product to be imported

Link

The driver/smuggler of this van never touched the brakes before hitting this irrigation ditch. He fled into the night and left twenty-one undocumented aliens to care for themselves. Fourteen of them went to the hospital (three were in critical condition). The aliens still tried to protect the driver by refusing to admit they were to pay money for their trip.

Link

The safety of the undocumented alien is not considered when compared to the lure of the easy dollar. This incident had sixty nine undocumented aliens crammed into a van for a trip to Phoenix. A run like this can net the smuggler over $55,000. The risks are greater for the undocumented alien who endure horrid conditions for hundreds of miles without any consideration for their well being. Would you believe these aliens still tried to claim they purchased the vehicle in a cooperative effort to enter the United States illegally?

In Southern Arizona, the smugglers are constantly changing tactics to ensure a higher success rate to make it through the Border Patrol's area. The smugglers know that the agents are spread thin so they have tried to "shotgun" vehicles through selected areas. Three to four vehicles will push through at the same time knowing an agent can only stop one of them. Some drivers will leave the vehicle in gear while they jump out and run. They know the agent will try to keep the vehicle from getting out of control before someone gets hurt.

Agents spend a lot of time and effort trying to make a case against an alien smuggler. The Mexican culture creates an artificial image that the smuggler is a good person and the immigration officer is to be hated and feared. The aliens are usually coached by the smuggler to claim a cooperative purchase of the vehicle and it takes many hours and relentless questioning by skilled interviewers (usually the field agent) to determine the truth. The interview process can often take up to six hours and the agents must then prepare the case to be presented to a United States Attorney for prosecution. An agent may work a sixteen hour day to successfully present a case for prosecution.

The Casa Grande station works with two separate court systems due it's geopraphical boundaries. Apprehensions made along the Southern Border (Pima County) will be presented in Tucson, Arizona. The Sector has a very strong prosecution program and they continually break records for the number of cases being presented on a yearly basis. Cooperation with the United States Attorney Office is high as a result of the quality of the cases being presented. Cases encountered in Pinal County will be presented in Phoenix, Arizona and it is extremely difficult to get a prosecution accepted. Agents are continually frustrated with the declinations that routinely happen on good smuggling or criminal alien cases.

Drug Siezures from on the US - Mexico Border: Link


See Sanity's related posts:
Fencing the US - Mexican Border

Arizona Sheriff - Throwing Illegals Aliens in Jail

Is Brown the New Black

Georgia Governor Does What Congress Won't

Politicians Pandering to Illegal Immigrants

Immigration Bill Stalls - President Blames Reid