NEWS: It's Official: U.S. Warns It Can't Guard Part of Mexican Border

[bigrebnc1861]

So, we, the citizens of the United States, can no longer enjoy THIS 3500 acres of OUR OWN land. How long before our government turns over another 3500 acres...then another 3500 acres? All the Mexicans have to do is extend the area of their violence! The Obamanation is turning us into a country with open borders...paving the way for the North American Union.

Read the report from Fox News:

FOXNews.com - Uptick in Violence Forces Closing of Parkland Along Mexico Border to Americans

About 3,500 acres of southern Arizona have been closed off to U.S. citizens due to increased violence at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The closed off area includes part of the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge that stretches along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu told Fox News that violence against law enforcement officers and U.S. citizens has increased in the past four months, forcing officers on an 80 mile stretch of Arizona land north of the Mexico border off-limits to Americans.

The refuge had been adversely affected by the increase in drug smugglers, illegal activity and surveillance, which made it dangerous for Americans to visit.

"The situation in this zone has reached a point where continued public use of the area is not prudent," said refuge manager Mitch Ellis.

“It’s literally out of control,” said Babeu. “We stood with Senator McCain and literally demanded support for 3,000 soldiers to be deployed to Arizona to get this under control and finally secure our border with Mexico. “

U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials have warned visitors in Arizona to beware of heavily armed drug smugglers and human traffickers.

“We need support from the federal government. It’s their job to secure the border and they haven’t done it,” said Babeu. “In fact, President Obama suspended the construction of the fence and it’s just simply outrageous.”

Signs have been posted warning Americans not to cross into the closed off territory south of Interstate 8. Babeu said the signs are not enough – he said Arizona needs more resources to help scale back the violence caused by the drug cartels.

“We need action. It’s shameful that we, as the most powerful nation on Earth, … can’t even secure our own border and protect our own families.”

We have no problem grauding restricted areas, The DMZ in Korea, we seem to not have a [roblem from Canada. Why can't This country defend it's borders?

[oldvet53]

if i remember correctly in the '70's we had mine dispersal units on huey's that would cover a 40-60 yd. wide area, just fly the border with these units right next to the border from texas to califorina. problem solved.

[Ed Hamberger]

I read, plus viewed the same video account today on FoxNews. I can't believe a country as powerful as the USSA(sic!), would allow a bunch of punkass wetbacks to cause the closure of 3300 acres of a Federal or State Reserve. My I suggest they make the area a Gunnery Range for Luke AFB & Davis Motham AFB? Maybe then all of the little wetback coyotes and drug runners will move to an area that can be protected by the Democrats!

[HK4U]

We can spend billions of tax payers dollars and sacrifice untold number of Americans for so called nation building and policing the world but our government will not protect our own citizens.

[oldvet53]

I read, plus viewed the same video account today on FoxNews. I can't believe a country as powerful as the USSA(sic!), would allow a bunch of punkass wetbacks to cause the closure of 3300 acres of a Federal or State Reserve. My I suggest they make the area a Gunnery Range for Luke AFB & Davis Motham AFB? Maybe then all of the little wetback coyotes and drug runners will move to an area that can be protected by the Democrats!

anouther suggestion, can you say AC-130? they have night vission and ir sighting systems, that would take care of the watchers on mountain tops! and then they could do surveilance of the border, all border patrols should be issued ir beacons so they know who is the good guy's are.

[ricardo900]

I'm speechless!

By Adam Housley
Published June 22, 2010/ Fox News
FOXNews.com - Mexican Gangs Maintain Permanent Lookout Bases in Hills of Arizona

Mexican drug cartels have set up shop on American soil, maintaining lookout bases in strategic locations in the hills of southern Arizona from which their scouts can monitor every move made by law enforcement officials, federal agents tell Fox News.

The scouts are supplied by drivers who bring them food, water, batteries for radios -- all the items they need to stay in the wilderness for a long time.

Click here for more on this story from Adam Housley.

“To say that this area is out of control is an understatement," said an agent who patrols the area and asked not to be named. "We (federal border agents), as well as the Pima County Sheriff Office and the Bureau of Land Management, can attest to that.”

Much of the drug traffic originates in the Menagers Dam area, the Vekol Valley, Stanfield and around the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation. It even follows a natural gas pipeline that runs from Mexico into Arizona.

In these areas, which are south and west of Tucson, sources said there are “cartel scouts galore” watching the movements of federal, state and local law enforcement, from the border all the way up to Interstate 8.

“Every night we’re getting beaten like a pinata at a birthday party by drug, alien smugglers," a second federal agent told Fox News by e-mail. "The danger is out there, with all the weapons being found coming northbound…. someone needs to know about this!”

The agents blame part of their plight on new policies from Washington, claiming it has put a majority of the U.S. agents on the border itself. One agent compared it to a short-yardage defense in football, explaining that once the smugglers and drug-runners break through the front line, they're home free.

“We are unable to work any traffic, because they have us forward deployed," the agent said. "We are unable to work the traffic coming out of the mountains. That traffic usually carries weapons and dope, too, again always using stolen vehicles.”

The Department of Homeland Security denies it has ordered any major change in operations or any sort of change in forward deployment.

“The Department of Homeland Security has dedicated unprecedented manpower, technology and infrastructure resources to the Southwest border over the course of the past 16 months," DHS spokesman Matt Chandler said. "Deployment of CBP/Border Patrol and ICE personnel to various locations throughout the Southwest border is based on actionable intelligence and operational need, not which elected official can yell the loudest.”

While agents in the area agree that southwest Arizona has been a trouble spot for more than a decade, many believe Washington and politicians “who come here for one-day visit” aren’t seeing the big picture.

They say the area has never been controlled and has suddenly gotten worse, with the cartels maintaining a strong presence on U.S. soil. More than ever, agents on the front lines are wearing tactical gear, including helmets, to protect themselves.

“More than 4,000 of these agents are deployed in Arizona," Chandler says. "The strategy to secure our nation’s borders is based on a 'defense in depth' philosophy, including the use of interior checkpoints, like the one on FR 85 outside Ajo, to interdict threats attempting to move from the border into the interior of our nation.”

Without placing direct fault on anyone, multiple agents told Fox that the situation is more dangerous for them than ever now that the cartels have such a strong position on the American side of the border.

They say morale is down among many who patrol the desolate area, and they worry that the situation won't change until an agent gets killed.