What is without a doubt, the most stupid announcement to be made on the border this century, authorities announced a larger Border Patrol presence and that more heavily armed deputies will be authorized to return fire across the Mexican border.
A larger Border Patrol presence? No problems with that. but cowboys with automatic weapons authorized to fire across an international border into a sovereign country?
Operation “River Freedom Denial” will target areas along the Rio Grande in the southern tip of Texas where violence has risen lately with more ground and air resources, said Border Patrol sector chief Ronald Vitiello
Standing with a Texas Department of Public Safety captain and the Hidalgo County Sheriff, Vitiello cited an exchange of gunfire between his agents and drug smugglers Monday and another incident this week of a smuggler ramming an agent’s truck in making his escape.
Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino said the deputies he will assign to the operation along the river will all be issued fully automatic rifles and authorized to return fire.
“If fired upon we will respond in kind,” he said
Vitiello and Trevino declined to offer more details about the operation, content with sending a message that law enforcement at all levels along the border is cooperating and will not tolerate violence.
Vitiello attributed the uptick in aggression in part to frustration of drug cartels who are facing a Border Patrol with more manpower and resources.
This is pure insanity! Catch them on this side of the river, take them down, but anything other than that is begging for an international incident.
And let one of the cowboys of Hidalgo County mistakenly fire upon a Mexican Army unit, they’re very capable of defense.
Worry about cleaning up the corruption in the RGV first
Everyone by now has heard about the South Texas sheriff arrested this week on drug trafficking charges. The actions of Starr County Sheriff Reymundo Guerra made it easier for the Mexican Gulf Cartel to operate in his county and endangered fellow law enforcement agents by sharing names of confidential informants, a federal prosecutor said in a press conference this afternoon.
Guerra faces three counts of a sprawling 19-count indictment implicating him and 14 others in a drug smuggling conspiracy.
Federal prosecutor Toni Trevino asked U.S. Magistrate Judge Dorina Ramos to hold Guerra without bond until his trial, contending the sheriff was a danger to the community.
Of particular concern to Ramos was that Starr County Judge Eloy Vera had said Guerra could resume his duties as sheriff pending trial.
Sounds as though the County Judge should be looked at. Considering the serious nature of the charges and the County Judge would allow Guerra to resume his duties as Sheriff?
And you people worry about corruption in Mexico!
The judge said she would issue her ruling on the bond question Monday
An indictment accuses Guerra of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana; accessory after the fact, for an alleged suggestion he made to a co-defendant to use false documents to avoid apprehension; and, facilitating the drug trafficking conspiracy through use of a telephone.
The first count alone carries a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life as well as a $4 million fine.
FBI agent Katherine Gutierrez testified about recorded phone conversations between Guerra and co-defendant Jose Carlos Hinojosa, a Mexico native living in Roma, Texas. Investigators allege Hinojosa worked for a member of the Zetas — the Gulf Cartel’s enforcers.
Hilder said that Guerra shared information with Hinojosa because he believed he worked for the Mexican equivalent of the district attorney’s office. Hinojosa had helped Guerra locate fugitives in the past, Hilder said.
But Gutierrez said the recorded conversations were not like those between fellow law enforcement officers.
If convicted, Guerra will join a list of Texas border officials to go down for drug trafficking or corruption.
Among them, Eugenio “Gene” Falcon, a predecessor in the Starr County Sheriff’s Office, went to prison in 1998 for taking kickbacks from a bail bondsman. Former Zapata County Sheriff Romeo T. Ramirez pleaded guilty in 1994 to accepting bribes from federal agents posing as drug dealers.Former Cameron County Sheriff Conrado Cantu is serving more than 26 years in prison for using his badge to extort money from drug dealers and other criminals. And former Laredo Police Chief Agustin Dovalina is behind bars for taking bribes to protect illegal eight-liner gambling parlors.
Good work by the FBI. Dumbshit idea by the Hidalgo County Sheriff.
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