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Would be nice if the Guard was related to the .50 cal... *sigh*
Cartels suspected as high-caliber gunfire sends Border Patrol scrambling on Rio Grande
By Jana Winter
Published July 19, 2014
FoxNews.com
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FoxNews.com
EXCLUSIVE: RINCON PENINSULA, Texas -- U.S. Border Patrol agents on the American side of the Rio Grande were forced to take cover Friday night when high-caliber weaponry was fired at them from the Mexican side of the river, sources told FoxNews.com.
The weapons were fired at the U.S. side of the riverbank in the area of the Rincon Peninsula across the Rio Grande from Reynosa, Mexico, at about 8:30 p.m., sources said. Bullets ricocheted into an area where Border Patrol agents were positioned, Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, told FoxNews.com.
Border Patrol sources confirmed Gohmert's account, and said the shots may have been fired by .50-caliber weapons.
"We don't have any armor that can stop a .50-caliber round, so our Border Patrol agents had to take cover when the rounds were richocheting around them," said Gohmert, who has been in the area for the last week to get a first-hand look at the border situation.
"When the shooting stopped, about 40 to 50 people came out on the U.S. side and turned themselves in. So clearly the rounds were being fired to suppress every effort to stop anybody intervening with anyone or anything coming across," Gohmert added. "We have no idea what or how many or whom came across with the other illegal immigrants."
Sources said they believe the gunfire came from members of Mexican drug cartels, which include former military members trained in shooting that type of weaponry.
Border Patrol sources said the rounds were clearly identifiable because .50- caliber weapons make a distinctive noise when fired. Sources said they also believe this is the first time that Border Patrol agents have taken direct fire from the Mexican side of the river in this area.
"I don't know why we're out here like sitting ducks," one Border Patrol source said. "We need help."
As of Saturday evening, a Border Patrol spokesman did not immediately return FoxNews.com's request for comment.
The Rio Grande sector has been the busiest part of the 2,000-mile border with Texas in recent months as a surge of illegal immigrants, many from Central America, has poured in to the U.S. in the mistaken belief that U.S. policy allows for them to remain in America once they make it in. More than 60,000 unaccompanied children had crossed in the last nine months. But Border Patrol officials have warned that the deluge has left the border largely unattended, and vulnerable to cartel infiltration.
By Jana Winter
Published July 19, 2014
FoxNews.com
Facebook487 Twitter565 livefyre625
riograndeinternal12121.jpg
FoxNews.com
EXCLUSIVE: RINCON PENINSULA, Texas -- U.S. Border Patrol agents on the American side of the Rio Grande were forced to take cover Friday night when high-caliber weaponry was fired at them from the Mexican side of the river, sources told FoxNews.com.
The weapons were fired at the U.S. side of the riverbank in the area of the Rincon Peninsula across the Rio Grande from Reynosa, Mexico, at about 8:30 p.m., sources said. Bullets ricocheted into an area where Border Patrol agents were positioned, Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, told FoxNews.com.
Border Patrol sources confirmed Gohmert's account, and said the shots may have been fired by .50-caliber weapons.
"We don't have any armor that can stop a .50-caliber round, so our Border Patrol agents had to take cover when the rounds were richocheting around them," said Gohmert, who has been in the area for the last week to get a first-hand look at the border situation.
"When the shooting stopped, about 40 to 50 people came out on the U.S. side and turned themselves in. So clearly the rounds were being fired to suppress every effort to stop anybody intervening with anyone or anything coming across," Gohmert added. "We have no idea what or how many or whom came across with the other illegal immigrants."
Sources said they believe the gunfire came from members of Mexican drug cartels, which include former military members trained in shooting that type of weaponry.
Border Patrol sources said the rounds were clearly identifiable because .50- caliber weapons make a distinctive noise when fired. Sources said they also believe this is the first time that Border Patrol agents have taken direct fire from the Mexican side of the river in this area.
"I don't know why we're out here like sitting ducks," one Border Patrol source said. "We need help."
As of Saturday evening, a Border Patrol spokesman did not immediately return FoxNews.com's request for comment.
The Rio Grande sector has been the busiest part of the 2,000-mile border with Texas in recent months as a surge of illegal immigrants, many from Central America, has poured in to the U.S. in the mistaken belief that U.S. policy allows for them to remain in America once they make it in. More than 60,000 unaccompanied children had crossed in the last nine months. But Border Patrol officials have warned that the deluge has left the border largely unattended, and vulnerable to cartel infiltration.
Perry to send 1,000 Texas Guard troops to South Texas border
SAN ANTONIO — Gov. Rick Perry is expected to announce Monday that he will activate up to 1,000 Texas National Guard troops to the Rio Grande Valley, state Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, confirmed Sunday night.
Perry wants these troops to bolster the work already being done with a surge of Texas Department of Public Safety troopers, said Hinojosa's spokeswoman, Jennifer Saenz, who added that the governor gave the Valley legislative delegation notice before the planned 2 p.m. announcement on border security.
“The senator understands that Perry wants this troop buildup, but is not sure what kind of federal approval he needs for it. He just knows he wants to deploy 1,000 troops there,” Saenz said.
Hinojosa, an attorney who served in the military during Vietnam, said he opposes the deployment of these troops.
“My position is that we do not need to militarize the border,” Hinojosa said, adding that the area has requested help for additional law enforcement and resources to feed, clothe and provide health checkups for the large influx of young migrants.
Hinojosa said of law enforcement, “They know what they are doing. They live here, they work here, they know the border. Their mission is to serve and to protect, and they do a very good job.
“The National Guard (troops) are not needed here,” he said. “They have a different mission. They have a military mission.”
Hinojosa did not have full details of how Perry's plan would be carried out.
A second person familiar with Perry's plans, who spoke on condition of not being identified, also confirmed that Perry plans to activate 1,000 troops.
Perry spokesman Felix Browne didn't confirm the plans and pointed out only that Perry has scheduled a 2 p.m. news conference Monday to make an announcement on border security.
In Iowa on Sunday, Perry told a small group at a VFW hall that if President Barack Obama fails to heed his longstanding request to send 1,000 additional guard troops, he would use his authority as governor to do so.
“We've sent the message that if we don't get the satisfaction that the federal government's going to move and move quickly, then the state of Texas will, in fact, fill that void,” Perry told the group.
Perry, who is considering a second run for president in 2016, has received a splash of national attention by confronting the Obama administration over the border security issue.
The McAllen Monitor obtained an internal memo from another state official's office that indicates that the DPS officials want to send guard troops into western areas of the Valley and the ranch lands farther north.
“This is not a militarization of the border,” said the memo, according to the Monitor. “The DPS and the National Guard are working to keep any drug and human trafficking south of (U.S. Highway) 83 and with the goal of keeping any smuggling from entering major highways to transport east/west/and north.”
The guard deployment will cost up to $12 million per month: $9.8 million for personnel and vehicle costs and an additional $2.4 million estimated to cover the cost of helicopters.
“It would take a month to get 1,000 troops on the ground, but they will only slowly call up the troops,” the memo states.
Activating the guard alongside DPS personnel will bring Texas' total cost of deploying additional resources to the surge to $5 million per week.
“It is not clear where the money will come from in the budget,” the memo states, adding that Perry's office has said the money will come from “noncritical” areas such as health care or transportation.
The announcement drew mixed reaction.
“The children fleeing violence in Central America are seeking out Border Patrol agents. They are not trying to evade them. Why would Rick Perry send soldiers to confront these kids?” said U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio.
Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, took to social media with his reaction, tweeting: “Glad to hear @GovernorPerry is calling up the National Guard to help secure the border and protect our state. Pray for our troops.”
Tea party leaders called on Perry last week to deploy the guard and demanded a special legislative session to address the “humanitarian crisis” at the border.
The McAllen Monitor and the Des Moines (Iowa) Register contributed to this report.
SAN ANTONIO — Gov. Rick Perry is expected to announce Monday that he will activate up to 1,000 Texas National Guard troops to the Rio Grande Valley, state Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, confirmed Sunday night.
Perry wants these troops to bolster the work already being done with a surge of Texas Department of Public Safety troopers, said Hinojosa's spokeswoman, Jennifer Saenz, who added that the governor gave the Valley legislative delegation notice before the planned 2 p.m. announcement on border security.
“The senator understands that Perry wants this troop buildup, but is not sure what kind of federal approval he needs for it. He just knows he wants to deploy 1,000 troops there,” Saenz said.
Hinojosa, an attorney who served in the military during Vietnam, said he opposes the deployment of these troops.
“My position is that we do not need to militarize the border,” Hinojosa said, adding that the area has requested help for additional law enforcement and resources to feed, clothe and provide health checkups for the large influx of young migrants.
Hinojosa said of law enforcement, “They know what they are doing. They live here, they work here, they know the border. Their mission is to serve and to protect, and they do a very good job.
“The National Guard (troops) are not needed here,” he said. “They have a different mission. They have a military mission.”
Hinojosa did not have full details of how Perry's plan would be carried out.
A second person familiar with Perry's plans, who spoke on condition of not being identified, also confirmed that Perry plans to activate 1,000 troops.
Perry spokesman Felix Browne didn't confirm the plans and pointed out only that Perry has scheduled a 2 p.m. news conference Monday to make an announcement on border security.
In Iowa on Sunday, Perry told a small group at a VFW hall that if President Barack Obama fails to heed his longstanding request to send 1,000 additional guard troops, he would use his authority as governor to do so.
“We've sent the message that if we don't get the satisfaction that the federal government's going to move and move quickly, then the state of Texas will, in fact, fill that void,” Perry told the group.
Perry, who is considering a second run for president in 2016, has received a splash of national attention by confronting the Obama administration over the border security issue.
The McAllen Monitor obtained an internal memo from another state official's office that indicates that the DPS officials want to send guard troops into western areas of the Valley and the ranch lands farther north.
“This is not a militarization of the border,” said the memo, according to the Monitor. “The DPS and the National Guard are working to keep any drug and human trafficking south of (U.S. Highway) 83 and with the goal of keeping any smuggling from entering major highways to transport east/west/and north.”
The guard deployment will cost up to $12 million per month: $9.8 million for personnel and vehicle costs and an additional $2.4 million estimated to cover the cost of helicopters.
“It would take a month to get 1,000 troops on the ground, but they will only slowly call up the troops,” the memo states.
Activating the guard alongside DPS personnel will bring Texas' total cost of deploying additional resources to the surge to $5 million per week.
“It is not clear where the money will come from in the budget,” the memo states, adding that Perry's office has said the money will come from “noncritical” areas such as health care or transportation.
The announcement drew mixed reaction.
“The children fleeing violence in Central America are seeking out Border Patrol agents. They are not trying to evade them. Why would Rick Perry send soldiers to confront these kids?” said U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio.
Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, took to social media with his reaction, tweeting: “Glad to hear @GovernorPerry is calling up the National Guard to help secure the border and protect our state. Pray for our troops.”
Tea party leaders called on Perry last week to deploy the guard and demanded a special legislative session to address the “humanitarian crisis” at the border.
The McAllen Monitor and the Des Moines (Iowa) Register contributed to this report.
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