I look at going down to the border to work stopping illegal immigration and the drug smuggling as part training so this seems to be a good section to post this in. This is my first thread here on AR15.com so I hope my pictures post. I've been down to the border many times and this is a report from my latest trip last week.

Border trip really isn’t the best description since I didn’t get closer then 50 miles to the U.S./Mexico line, but things in Arizona have deteriorated enough that you can run into drug and/or human smuggling in most of the lower third of the state. Law enforcement is doing a better job then ever but the bad guys have matched them in both tactics and determination. As usual, I prowled around with my buddy Paul, a very experienced border vigilante. We spent 4 days 3 nights in the Ironwood Forest NM and Silver Bell Mountain area. The haulers run drugs/people up through the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation to I-10 to avoid highway checkpoints around Tucson. We’ve found that even good 4X4’s aren’t enough for moving quickly on rough desert roads where you may need to chase smugglers who will push their vehicles (often stolen) much faster than we will. So I brought this for reconnaissance and pursuit. Note: All these pictures were taken last week but some show different dates because I screwed up my cameras time stamp setting.


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We did the usual driving around with some short and moderate hikes looking for tracks, drug stashes, haul rigs ect. Despite what some people say and believe, your chances of coming on fresh footprints, and then following and catching up with a group on foot is unlikely. Most smugglers haul ass, and to successfully track and catch a group is very tough. Many times you end up running into the bad guys by chance just from being out there, or find their routes and set up a stakeout. I hiked up the hill in the following picture one night to see if it was being used as a lookout post but found nothing. Even with NV goggles on, trying to be silent and not get ambushed made it slow tedious work. The next morning we found some tracks and a pretty fresh ski mask that the drug haulers sometimes wear. I put it on the post for the picture.


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In the past we had seen very few LE in this area. This time we ran into a bunch of BLM cops, some unidentified feds, and a mystery helicopter that buzzed us on two occasions.


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We always see the LEO’s in nice 4X4 rigs in the middle of the day but they don't hang out at night or early AM when the smugglers are moving. Much of the area is off limits to the Border Patrol for “political reasons”. So guess where the bad guys go?


Some of the luxurious accommodations we enjoy while out chasing the bad guys.


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On the third night, I climbed up on some high ground for surveillance and looked out over the Ironwood/SB/TO area. It was quiet. Just lights from the mine and the glow from metro Tucson far to the east. I was tired and said **** it and rode the ATV back to where we were camped at a crossroads. Normally I sleep in my BDU’s with as much gear on as possible to be able to deploy if something happens during the night. This time I stripped down to a pair of sweat pants/shirt to hopefully get some decent sleep. I had gotten up the next morning and was taking my morning piss when a Chevy truck with 20 illegals rolled through the crossroads. Paul was already up and ran out to the road to stop them but they stomped on it and drove right past. The truck was so overloaded and in disrepair that it just gave out a pathetic sputtering as the smugglers tried to speed away. I fired up my ATV and Paul jumped on it to give chase.

Frequently they will use multiple vehicles, so I pulled my full sized truck across the road to block any other haul vehicles and slung my FAL in case they tried to ram through my ad-hoc roadblock or stopped and fought it out. I spent the next thirty minutes getting my gear on and making multiple (failed) attempts at getting a cell phone call through to BP. After I decided no more haul vehicles were coming, I loaded up my rifle, pack, and Paul’s dog into my truck and followed the ATV tracks. I didn’t have far to go.


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Paul had caught the haulers about a half mile away. The driver and 7 illegals had fled without water into the desert. The rest either stayed with the truck or gave up after Paul cowboy rounded up them with the ATV. He was just one guy trying to stop 20 so I was just happy to see he was OK. He had managed to get a call out to BP. Catching a grossly over weighted truck with the ATV had been ridiculously easy, But I'm sure it will be tougher chasing a healthier beefed up vehicle with less weight on it. There's also the danger of the smugglers turning and trying to run over the guy following them. We caught a dozen all from Meh-he-co.


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The group seemed almost happy to see us. They had walked for days, been treated like dirt by the smugglers, and some were sick and all were dehydrated. We gave them water. One even got comfortable on my ATV while we waited for Border Patrol.


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One of the two BP agents that responded first took off into the desert looking for some of the runners but came back empty handed. It was a 4 mile walk to the nearest houses and water and much, much further than that in all the other directions. The smugglers took the trucks keys but were nice enough to leave us the title. BP seized the truck and will probably sell it at auction, maybe to another smuggler.


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We took a day of R&R plus we needed to re-supply, then we headed down to an area off of I-8 that’s a major smuggling zone to meet up with some of these guys.
http://americancivilsentinels.ning.c...ource=activity

They had just come back from a week long operation down at the fence in a place that can best be described as “spooky” and a “hills have eyes” kind of area. I felt uneasy just passing through the area in the daytime a couple years back. The ACS guys were worn down from the deployment plus the cold temperatures (12F) in that area. It was much warmer up near I-8 though. We didn’t have time to set up a decent stakeout since some of the guys arrived late and all (except me and Paul) were headed home the next day. We set up in an informal camping area that is used for drug pickup’s and also has bad guys just passing through. We were the only one’s there. A couple ACS guys were behind a probable pickup vehicle out on the highway that got spooked and took off. Right after that, Paul heard a guy come to the edge of the campground and make a really bad coyote (4 legged kind) call and was waiting for a response. Paul was the only one there and couldn’t leave, but a few of us went out looking for him when we returned a half hour later.

Paul and I staked out the area the next night but it was quiet.

Me and Kiki ready to patrol.


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Government warning sign just south off of I-8. No, it’s not much safer north of I-8 either.


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Me with some trash from a group of illegals that got caught the morning we arrived. One of them must have been a Confederate at heart.


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The haulers/illegals will frequently use washes for easier walking and better cover.


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Sunrises/sets can be spectacular down in the desert. It’s a shame because many of the places we work would be great places to vacation and relax if they weren’t so dangerous.


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interesting thread- I'm familiar with the areas you are posting about from several decades spent hiking and doing photography. I will be down for a few weeks again shortly, but unfortunately I am not planning to go within 30 miles of the border. The signs you photographed were everywhere last year when I was hiking in the chiricauhua mountains last spring- It's infuriating to have a gov't agency (BLM) telling Americans that their public lands are now off limits.
the organ pipe and cabeza prieta areas, where my wife and I spent a lot of time hiking, are in my opinion too dangerous to visit without a rifle squad. we encountered problems there close to the border as far back as 2000.
your photographs illustrate one of the problems that doesn't get much press- the garbage left by these people. I've seen areas of what were pristine desert twenty years ago turned into garbage dumps.
I have been carrying a handgun when hiking in the desert southwest for decades.  I am considering carrying an AK starting this spring- that is a hell of a commentary on the state of this country.

BLM, state, and national forest generally just put up warning signs but don't forbid people from entering because of hauler traffic. It's national parks, wildlife refuges, and Indian reservations that lock (or hassle) us, and even sometimes LE out. The BLM cops are pretty well equiped in vehicles/weapons/equipment. The Forest Service (from what i've heard) is still sending their rangers out unarmed and we had one high tail it away from us thinking we might be bad guys. The Park Service has very real and armed cops but I think they avoid confronting the bad guys because you dont read about them making too many busts. I'm sure the rank and file guys are more than willing but the PS and WR brass pretty much has a see/hear/speak no evil policy when it comes to the border. The Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge is a perfect example of this policy.

I’ve worked the Chiracauhua Mountains because they run through them from SR 80 all the way to I-10. It’s tough country and the haulers earn their pay but it’s real tough for LE to patrol up there so it is more or less a sanctuary for them. This is a picture of me in Horseshoe Canyon (just west of Rodeo NM) next to a cow the haulers had killed eaten and strung up.
http://img815.imageshack.us/img815/7585/cowfx.jpg

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I personally wouldn’t carry an AK on or near the border because so many bad guys do. A lot of the LE down there is also out of the sand box and have that in their head to begin with. I usually carry my FAL because I dig the ergonomics and I like the .308 for its range and the fact that it will punch through a vehicle. AR’s are real light weight for chasing people and for tight brush areas. I had my Bushmaster bouncing around my Jeep, bashing through the brush, and laid up with me on the ground during stake outs for two weeks without cleaning and didn't have the troubles some people say the desert causes AR's. I did find that sand will get in the magazine if you use it as a monopod but a little brown electrical tape around the baseplate solved that. An old guy I know on the border that’s a die hard Garand fan had one in his pickup. I said, “What’s this, a MOUSE GUN??”. He sheepishly shrugged and said, “Well, they’re kinda handy for getting in n’ out of the rig and scouting around and stuff”.

Me with my FAL and some illegals I caught getting loaded into a Border Patrol truck.
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last year I tried to hike in the Baboquiviri Range from the reservation- after a couple of days I left because I couldn't see leaving my vehicle unattended while hiking. I went over east to the Buenos Aires wildlife refuge and the altar valley- I saw border patrol  two or three times a day. Nice enough people, and they assured me that things were safe enough. But every one of them asked me if I was armed.
you have no idea how different it is than twenty years ago in these areas. After a few more days I went north- there's plenty of desert north and west of wickenberg where a guy can get a little peace and quiet.
I'll stick with the AK with a bushnell fastfire because it is cheap- if it is stolen out of my camper I'm only out a third of what I have in my AR or .308. No problem with AR reliability- in my opinion most folks would be OK if they would just remember to close the dust cover.
What I meant by my comment about the signs is that anybody who works for the gov't should be ashamed to tell Americans that part of our country is off limits to us because the gov't has decided to give in to foreign invaders.

Very interesting account.  

What's the general attitude of the BP agents you come across?  Happy that you are there or do they consider you a nut?  Any problems carrying weapons??....I'm guessing not based on your pics but just curious.

The vast percentage of LE is supportive especially when you’re handing them illegals, drug loads, and seize able vehicles. The worst I’ve run into is ambivalence and that was from agents or deputies that had “just putting in time” written all over them. In the areas we work the cops would think it was strange if we weren’t armed to the hilt. My friend just got in from catching a few and causing a whole bunch of trouble for others.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.1622162286096.2071185.1597635416&l=64b1e5be22

you should post over on the AZ home town forum, I think there are some locals there that would be very interested.

Thanks for being a true Patriot and helping out.

IM inbound.

This and great post.(1st post even)





 

It great to see this post. I have often wondered why we don't see more like this.

Since I live up north by the other border, it does not allow me time to come down and join in as I would like.

Keep up the great work.

if it wasn't for guys like you this country would already be overrun. Nice job!

IM inbound.

Next trips are begining of October and late November-early December (both in Arizona) if anyone is interested.  Thanks

I come from AZ, spent much of my youth running around down where you are patrolling, I have to say, it is crazy what you find down there.  I did search and rescue down there along with a lot of time wandering in the desert.
I was waiting at a late model expedition I found once for LE and when they showed up, they asked me and my buddy if we had any more guns, as we weren't well armed enough.  We had an M1a, an AR and two glock 19s between us.
There are tracts of the desert that BP doesn't like, especially the O'odham reservation.
Not to be offensive, but just so you are aware, you are probably doing more harm than good.  A lot of the areas south of Ajo Road (maybe be as far as I-8) have seismic sensors, trip them and you get a response, like the helicopters you saw.  I know you are getting people, but the numbers are staggering, a few dozen doesn't amount to a whole hell of a lot if you are pulling the bird away from where its needed elsewhere, especially when you are that far north.
As to the drug movers, they generally moved at night along the 286 north from Sasabe to Ajo rd. in that neck of the woods.  If you follow the road by topography there is a lot of culverts running N-S along it, which makes it easy to run on and hide.  Again, there are sensors here.    Be CAREFUL of contact in this area, you will get smoked if you try to stop the runners, especially at night.  They have NVGs too.
I fun place to hang out for a night or two if you are looking for activity is near the old Sasco mine the old road used to be very busy.  If your looking for a good place to shot its riddled with them, and there is an old ICMB tube abandoned up there someplace.   Its a good ways further North if you prefer it and no sensors as far as I know.
 

if i could I'd turn 180* and take confiscate the south bound M$0$N$E$Y....
9,687 go north  ...let em pass so they can stop on the return trip dropping  off the cash
that's just me  an old "wizard of oz scare crow"

other than that keep up the good that all of you do.

Interesting.

IM inbound.

Any updates from your latest trip? Interesting topic.

Could someone translate this into English for me?

Drugs and traffic goes north, the American cash flows south.  He'd rather chase the money then stop the crime.



 

I think he's saying that you could snatch the southbound money, make a profit, and deter crime by limiting profit.

AKA white man rip crew....a popular idea in AZ.

I'm fairly new to this, but I'm wondering if regular civilians do what highdesertutah was doing, or if this was an actual job.

These are all civilian volunteers.

Wow, thats pretty cool.  Do people just show up with all their gear, and have at it? Or is there a process to doing this?

American Civil Sentinels

I was down there in October with some ar15.com guys but they were only with us for one night. We heard a vehicle(s) a couple miles away but I figured if they were haulers they would have to come by us. When we checked we found a truck had come in over our tracks from a few hours before and dropped off some walkers or mules. They have gotten busted so many times in the area we work that they have started hiking and atv’ing over a small mountain range. It’s a constant game of cat and mouse. There are less illegals but the drugs continue. The haulers are getting more sophisticated and better armed. In the area we’ve been working the BP is only around during the day for a few hours but they respond asap anytime we get somebody.

We spent 5 days this January prowling around but it was quiet, nice days and cold nights. One interesting thing we found was this:

http://img814.imageshack.us/img814/7818/wellbucket.jpg

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What I’m kneeling on is a concrete cap over a well with a 45 foot+- drop to the water. Somebody (probably a coyote) had come by and needed water but couldn’t readily get to it. So he took the time to cut multiple strips of blanket, tie them together, cut a water bottle into a scoop with a rock tied to it, and lower it down multiple times to get to the water. Smart.


Texas Ranchers Using AK47s to Defend Against Cartel Invaders
http://borderissues.us/2012/01/27/texas-ranchers-using-ak47s-to-defend-against-cartel-invaders/

any updates?

i seen you said you turned in drug's, trucks, and people.

what about all teh cash?

This is awesome. Thank you for volunteering to help hold the line.

Thinking next move will be Arizona...

Neat thread, is this still ongoing, OP?