Testing The Defenses?

Source: eastvalleytribune

National Guardsmen approached by group at state border

The National Guardsmen on duty at the border near Sasabe were approached by yet another group of possibly armed men — the third such encounter this year, Border Patrol officials said Monday.

The guardsmen were working in a team watching for illegal activity west of the Rancho de la Osa near Sasabe Friday night when they radioed the Border Patrol about a group of several men approaching their post within 100 yards, said Rob Daniels, Border Patrol Tucson Sector spokesman.

Border Patrol officials sent a Black Hawk helicopter and agents in vehicles to the area, Daniels said.

They arrived within five to seven minutes.

No shots were fired and there was no altercation, but Daniels said the guardsmen were definitely approached.

Soldiers using night vision goggles were unsure how many men were in the group and whether they were carrying weapons. No one was apprehended.

Two similar incidents occurred last month:

• Jan. 28: Soldiers were attacked with rocks by unknown assailants at an observation post south of Sells. They took cover but did not leave their post.

• Jan. 3: A group of armed men, including at least one carrying an AK-47, approached four Tennessee guardsmen at a post east of Sasabe, forcing them to vacate the post and move back. No shots were fired and nobody was hurt.

Daniels said the Border Patrol is on alert and prepared to back up the soldiers, who are there to support the agency’s mission.

“Based upon the fact that it happened before, we don’t have any luxury of discounting anything like that,” Daniels said.

“When we get notified of something, we respond with everything we can,” he said.

The guardsmen were in an entrance-identification team, which monitors the area for illegal activity but doesn’t have the authority to detain illegal entrants.

Such teams are meant to act as a deterrent. There are as many as 80 of them posted at the border.

I think we're past 'deterring.'

A couple of bodies hung over the shiny new border fence would provide a much more robust 'deterrent,' I should think.

H/T Rachel from email

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