http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/local...rder-patrol-operation-in-arizona-this-weekend
By: Christina Boomer
This weekend, the Cochise County Border Militia will conduct a volunteer border patrol operation along the Arizona-Mexico border.
And I'm riding along to chronicle the experience...
Their mission: Spot and report illegal border crossers and create a presence to spook off incoming smuggling operations from Mexico.
In Mexico, cartel turf wars (combined with President Felipe Calderon’s aggressive war on drugs) have sparked violent shoot-outs and casualty counts that have sent shockwaves north of the border.
It is hard not to be alarmed when you read headlines like this one published by the Associated Press July 1st; “21 dead in Mexican gang gun battle near US border."
The article, with a dateline from Hermosillo, Mexico, said the gunfight between two rival drug and migrant-smuggling gangs, “occurred in a sparsely populated area about 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the Arizona border — a prime corridor for immigrant and drug smuggling.”
That is just too violent and too close for many people who live in Arizona.
Some fear that the bloodshed happening in Mexico is already spilling over into America and believe the recent shooting death of Rob Krentz, a Douglas rancher, is proof.
The hunt is on for the suspect. No witnesses mean there’s not much for detectives to go on.
Detectives did spot shoe tracks headed south toward Mexico.
Following Krentz’s murder, the Cochise County Border Militia began offering their services to local ranchers and the group’s leader, Bill Davis, began snatching up recruits.
They could make a job out of this, contracting their security detail operation to private land owners feeling jittery after one of their own was gunned down.
Davis is not shy about stating who he’s looking for to join him on a 4th of July volunteer patrol along the border. He’s looking for veterans with guns who are not afraid to use them.
The reality is, patrolling the border is dangerous. You don’t know whom you might encounter trying to creep into Arizona. It could be an armed smuggler with a lot to lose if you stop his load of drugs or human cargo.
That is why they patrol in pairs, with a walkie-talkie, and a gun.
If they see something suspicious, they call Border Patrol. In an e-mail, Davis explained some of the rules: "We don't initiate a conversation. Tackle & Detain? NO! Nobody threatens with a weapon!"
Davis has allowed me to document their 4th of July operation, so I'm headed to Southern Arizona this weekend.
Hear from him and members of their group as they explain who they are, what motivates them, and what they hope to accomplish.
Along with hearing them in their own words, you will see firsthand what happens on a volunteer border patrol.
Do you have questions for Davis or members of the Cochise County Border Militia? Send them my way:
Twitter: ChristinaBoomer
Facebook: Christina Boomer
E-mail: CBoomer@abc15.com
By: Christina Boomer
This weekend, the Cochise County Border Militia will conduct a volunteer border patrol operation along the Arizona-Mexico border.
And I'm riding along to chronicle the experience...
Their mission: Spot and report illegal border crossers and create a presence to spook off incoming smuggling operations from Mexico.
In Mexico, cartel turf wars (combined with President Felipe Calderon’s aggressive war on drugs) have sparked violent shoot-outs and casualty counts that have sent shockwaves north of the border.
It is hard not to be alarmed when you read headlines like this one published by the Associated Press July 1st; “21 dead in Mexican gang gun battle near US border."
The article, with a dateline from Hermosillo, Mexico, said the gunfight between two rival drug and migrant-smuggling gangs, “occurred in a sparsely populated area about 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the Arizona border — a prime corridor for immigrant and drug smuggling.”
That is just too violent and too close for many people who live in Arizona.
Some fear that the bloodshed happening in Mexico is already spilling over into America and believe the recent shooting death of Rob Krentz, a Douglas rancher, is proof.
The hunt is on for the suspect. No witnesses mean there’s not much for detectives to go on.
Detectives did spot shoe tracks headed south toward Mexico.
Following Krentz’s murder, the Cochise County Border Militia began offering their services to local ranchers and the group’s leader, Bill Davis, began snatching up recruits.
They could make a job out of this, contracting their security detail operation to private land owners feeling jittery after one of their own was gunned down.
Davis is not shy about stating who he’s looking for to join him on a 4th of July volunteer patrol along the border. He’s looking for veterans with guns who are not afraid to use them.
The reality is, patrolling the border is dangerous. You don’t know whom you might encounter trying to creep into Arizona. It could be an armed smuggler with a lot to lose if you stop his load of drugs or human cargo.
That is why they patrol in pairs, with a walkie-talkie, and a gun.
If they see something suspicious, they call Border Patrol. In an e-mail, Davis explained some of the rules: "We don't initiate a conversation. Tackle & Detain? NO! Nobody threatens with a weapon!"
Davis has allowed me to document their 4th of July operation, so I'm headed to Southern Arizona this weekend.
Hear from him and members of their group as they explain who they are, what motivates them, and what they hope to accomplish.
Along with hearing them in their own words, you will see firsthand what happens on a volunteer border patrol.
Do you have questions for Davis or members of the Cochise County Border Militia? Send them my way:
Twitter: ChristinaBoomer
Facebook: Christina Boomer
E-mail: CBoomer@abc15.com
