COMMENT: "If all that’s true, from August 2006 to August 2007 about 300,000 illegal aliens in the Tucson to Yuma sector were “caught and released”!"

THE BORDER REPORT

Not a bad straw man, but no. Let's say you and I are illegal immigrants from Mexico trying to cross the border. We're captured together our first time out; that's two "apprehensions." Okay, so we're deported and we try again. Now, that's two more "apprehensions." If we try 20 times each, that counts as 40 apprehensions. Do you not see it; or do you not want to?

THE BORDER REPORT

Well this is interesting.

The Homeland Security bosses are postulating the successes of their zero-tolerance program for illegal migrants in Tucson Sector before they've even begun but the Feds working the back end of the deal give some insight into how fast this program may fall through. More importantly, they give a pretty good idea of how many people are actually captured by border officials every year.

If the Justice Department's assessments of Homeland's efforts are true, it would appear the U.S. Border Patrol has not been nearly as busy as they like us to believe they are. Either that, or a lot more people escape their scrutiny than I initially believed.

Read the full post

THE BORDER REPORT

Nogales, Ariz. Mayor Ignacio Barraza died about two hours ago, a heart attack at 38 years old.

He passed away at University Medical Center in Tucson. Look to the Nogales International for more news about the mayor's death. El Imparcial reports he was rushed to the hospital yesterday afternoon.

THE BORDER REPORT

Mexican FBI that is. Turns out federal agents in the Mexican FBI had several "irregularities" in their search of a Sonoran state agent's home a couple nights ago. Like lack of a search warrant. And a couple thug madrinas engaging in the search themselves. Turns out the home of Lázaro González Cruz had been illegally searched, no warrant, by members of the Mexican FBI. Too bad too, there can, sometimes, be no shame in the actions of state government security employees in the state of Sonora. But in this case, the Feds screwed up. No warrant and no probable cause to go after González. This has all led to Gov. Eduardo Bours to declare the Mexican FBI (Los famosos AFIs) as a group of do-nothings, "que no sirven para nada." I've heard little about González, and cannot attest to his honesty. But I can tell you this, there are few law enforcement organizations operating in Mexico more frightening than the Mexican FBI. And, perhaps more disturbingly, with the help of the gringos. Recall, if you will, that it was this agency who opened fire on the Hermosillo police station a few months ago. When state police officers responded, they found three AFI agents along with a couple hookers and madrinas in the car. This, at the time that the killing of Hermosillo police officers had never been higher. But, dejate de eso, this is also the same agency for whom the U.S. State Department, back in June, approved a $3 million contract to Verint Technology, Inc., to wiretap every single cellphone, instant message, fax, landline and email coming into and out of the country. All on behalf of the AFI. Very interesting. Oh, and three bodies were discovered over the past few days in Alamos, Sonora. I'm still waiting for the results of the identification tests. One may end up being a very, very, interesting person to find indeed. We'll find out. In honor of the vaunted journalist Jesús Blancornelas, dead and forgotten now one year after his death, I'll leave you with this: "We are journalists and they are criminals and it's our job to cover the news. If they don't like it, they should find other work." Cuidense.

Will return next week. I'm at a fellowship sponsored by the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma. In the meantime, here is last week's column from The News of Mexico City.

Secreto a Voces

Read the full post