Once again the bullets fly....

Customs and Border Protection has had another shooting incident. This time in Brownsville, TX.
Once again, a subject in a vehicle being pursued by the police tries to run over CBP Officers, in this case several times. Several shots were fired and the bad guy was killed. One Officer was injured trying to get out of the vehicle's path.

A couple of weeks ago, it was in Douglas.

Just before that, it was Blaine.

Ask yourself, do you really think that a sixty or seventy year old should be doing this job?

Is that the individual you want protecting the borders?

This agency captures more wanted persons than all of the rest of the federal agencies combined.

It seizes more narcotics than all the rest of the federal agencies combined.

This is the only agency to catch a terrorist in the act, (Ressam12/99-Port Angeles, WA)

The men and women in this agency deserve "6c" law enforcement retirement of 20 years.
In no later than 37 and out by 57. They have earned it and it is better for the nation.

In a couple of days, I will be working with a bunch of new trainees. Some will be in their 20s and some in their 50s or 60s. There is no question that the more mature of the group will bring in good life experience, unfortunately, they will also bring in broken bodies. The worst part of it is in a couple of years, the young Officers will move on to other agencies that offer law enforcement retirement and CBP will end up with the old folks. They do bring life experience, but what they don't bring is job expertise in this field. Then they will stay a few years and be gone as well.


BT

NOT RICIN-VERIFIED

FBI has verified that the substance found in a U.T. dormitory was not ricin.

Remember where you heard it first.

BT

RICIN at UT???

This is not verified, but word around the University of Texas campus is that the substance thought to be Ricin was not. False positives for biologicals and chemical threats are common in field tests (those done with kits outside of a lab).

BT

"Nuff Said"......

SAN YSIDRO – A Wapato, Wash., man wanted on suspicion of homicide was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Ysidro border crossing Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

Officials said border officers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, which also encompasses the Otay Mesa border station, arrested more than 1,100 fugitives during the 2005 fiscal year, and more than 240 fugitives so far during the 2006 fiscal year, which started Oct. 1.

Nogales-$973,000 in heroin, coke, meth is seized.

The agents removed 34 packages of narcotics, including eight pounds of heroin, seven pounds of methamphetamine, and almost 70 pounds of cocaine. The vehicle was seized and the 43-year-old female driver from Pacoima, Calif., was arrested.

Terrorism Basics....

I am big into sharing information in order that my audience gains perspective to make good decisions. For example, I often share with those I teach the fact that in the late seventies and early eighties, we called some of the same people we are trying to kill now, freedom fighters. Even more, we gave them weapons and training. Back then the bad guys were the Soviets and anyone trying to kill them was our friend. Was it a mistake, maybe, who knows...right now it doesn't look real smart, but in the heat of the moment, in a rapidly evolving situation, hind sight is kind of unfair.

The reason I share this is to let my audience know that regardless of the past or decisions made way above our pay grade, it is still our jobs to secure the borders. The way that it still happens is that when people enter the country, they come face to face with one of us. Regardless of all the bs going on above our pay grade and with the burros, the fact is, if we let the bad guy in, he is in, and once he is in, he is a lot harder to catch than when we have him at the border. It is all about threat assessment period!

So to the basics of Terrorism, what is terrorism?

Terrorism is a form of unconventional warfare. A good real world definition of terrorism is, the use of violence to create fear in order to achieve a goal. The goal may be political, social, religious, or economic. It may be a combination of those items listed. The terrorists lack the manpower, the equipment, the infrastructure, and the money required to run a conventional war. There is no way that Al Qaida or any terrorist organization is going to come in and take over the United States through conventional methods. There are rules of war that have been outlined in such agreements as the Geneva Convention. Included are agreed upon behaviors between nations that are acceptable during war. Failure to abide by these agreements may lead to trials for war crimes and it is the winner of the conflict that generally brings some of the defeated to be held responsible for such actions. Unconventional warfare has evolved throughout the centuries, at some point, it might have been hiding behind trees and shooting soldiers from cover when the protocols of war called for opposing sides to line up in formation and exchange volleys. In the present, it has become flying airliners into skyscrapers, nerve agents released in subways, biological agents sent through the mail, and human bombs, all designed to kill or maim non-combatants or innocents. To create fear, to achieve a goal.

(The above paragraph is part of the book, which I haven't touched in a while.)

That last paragraph is terrorism 101 and by the way any terms your hear like narco-terror or agro-terror is just perpetrated by those without a clue, the above covers it all.

BT

The Anniversary....

Well Folks,
It has been a year since I started this blog and I hope that it has opened some eyes as to the challenges faced in protecting this nation at it's borders. I can honestly say that there are some great people out there doing the job and I can honestly say that it is real hard keeping them from going to other agencies that offer them better pay, benefits, and retirement.

Like I have always said, if the damn burros (bureaucrats) would get out of the way, we could do alot better. It just kills me when I hear a buddy tell me that he doesn't care anymore, he is going to come to work, do what they say, and wait for the check every couple of weeks. He is going to stop pointing out the flaws and offering solutions because it has cost him opportunities.

I love what I do, but we were doing it better a few years ago and we can do alot better than what we are doing now.

I am still in there fighting for truth, justice and the American way, but I would be less than truthful if I didn't say it is sometimes like fighting windmills. Me and my buddy Don....

BT

Muslims in Buffalo...

If you recall, in December of 2004, a number of U.S. citizens returning from a Muslim conference in Toronto were held for lengthy inspection at the CBP Buffalo Port of Entry. The incident received a large amount of press about how their civil rights had been trampled by the jack booted thugs of CBP.

On their behalf, the NYCLU sought a restraining order to prohibit CBP from conducting such inspections as they return from the conference at the end of December, 2005.

The U.S. District Court Judge ruled against the restraining order and stated that such inspections were not unconstitutional.

Now you may not believe me, but the ACLU and I'm sure the NYCLU and I would probably agree on alot of issues surrounding the Fourth amendment. I am a strong proponent of the Bill of Rights! That is why I am such a strong proponent of being enforcement minded at the borders where the courts have always supported the border search exception to the Fourth amendment. They have not done away with the Fourth, but have only required that border searches be reasonable. Once the people are in the country, the exceptions to the Fourth are few.

I have always said and previous entries will indicate that it doesn't matter what color, what religion, or your citizenship.... at the border you are subject to inspection. If you don't believe me, ask that Federal Judge in Buffalo.


PS
Ask yourself this, why didn't the media cover the Judges ruling like they did the allegations?


BT

Another CBP Shooting Incident....

Once again, CBP Officers have been involved in a shooting. You will recall, several days ago, a shooting occurred at the Blaine, WA Peace Arch port of entry when CBP Officers threatened with death or serious physical injury had to shoot the driver of a vehicle that rammed their cover vehicle. The two in the vehicle were wanted for murder and trying to reach Canada.

In this case, Douglas, AZ police were chasing a suspected stolen vehicle trying to abscond to Mexico. With no time to prepare for the vehicle, CBP Officers were forced to fire at the driver attempting to run them down and who drove into a primary inspection booth. The driver was struck by rounds fired by the Officers and later died.

I am sure the media coverage will be significant. This does nothing but bolster my call for CBP to stop hiring old folks to be the front line on the border. As I have said over and over, it is a young person's profession and the agency, DHS, and Congress need to pull their heads out and provide 6c law enforcement retirement for these brave Officers who constantly put their lives on the line.

BT

Results....Everything else is just b.s.

Some great enforcement by the guys on the Border in the last few days:

Nogales-3 Cocaine Seizures, about $1,000,000.00 worth.

Hidalgo-Arrested a Child Molester on the run.

These two Ports have always been enforcement and training leaders within CBP, and this is just a small example of what they do for the nation.

Great work from Doug and Rick's folks.

BT