Mexican soldiers and civilian smugglers had an armed standoff with nearly 30 U.S. law enforcement officials on the Rio Grande in Texas Monday afternoon, according to Texas police and the FBI.

Mexican military Humvees were towing what appeared to be thousands of pounds of marijuana across the border into the United States, said Chief Deputy Mike Doyal of the Hudspeth County Sheriff's Department.

Mexican Army troops had several mounted machine guns on the ground more than 200 yards inside the U.S. border near Neely's Crossing, about 50 miles east of El Paso when Border Patrol agents called for backup. Hudspeth County deputies and Texas Highway patrol officers arrived shortly afterward, Doyal said.

"It's been so bred into everyone not to start an international incident with Mexico that it's been going on for years," Doyal said. "When you're up against mounted machine guns, what can you do? Who wants to pull the trigger first? Certainly not us."

An FBI spokeswoman confirmed the incident happened at 2:15 p.m. Pacific time.

"Bad guys in three vehicles ended up on the border," said Andrea Simmons, a spokeswoman with the FBI's El Paso office. "People with Humvees, who appeared to be with the Mexican Army, were involved with the three vehicles in getting them back across."

Simmons said the FBI was not involved and referred inquiries to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

ICE did not return calls seeking comment.

Doyal said deputies captured one vehicle in the incident, a Cadillac Escalade reported stolen from El Paso, and found 1,477 pounds of marijuana inside. The Mexican soldiers set fire to one of the Humvees stuck in the river, he said.

Doyal's deputies faced a similar incident on Nov. 17, when agents from the Fort Hancock border patrol station in Texas called the sheriff's department for backup after confronting more than six fully armed men dressed in Mexican military uniforms. The men who were carrying machine guns and driving military vehicles were trying to bring more than three tons of marijuana across the Rio Grande, Doyal said.

Doyal said such incidents are common at Neely's Crossing, which is near Fort Hancock, Texas, and across from the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
"It happens quite often here," he said.

Deputies and border patrol agents are not equipped for combat, he added.

"Our government has to do something," he said. "It's not the immigrants coming over for jobs we're worried about. It's the smugglers, Mexican military and the national threat to our borders that we're worried about."

Citing a Jan. 15 story in the Daily Bulletin, Reps. David Dreier, R-Glendora, and Duncan Hunter, R-San Diego, last week asked the House Judiciary Committee, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, the House Homeland Security Committee and the House International Relations Committee to investigate the incursions.

The story focused on a Department of Homeland Security document reporting 216 incursions by Mexican soldiers during the past 10 years and a map with the seal of the president's Office of National Drug Control Policy, both of which were given to the newspaper.

Requests by Dreier, chairman of the House Rules Committee, and Hunter were made in jointly signed letters.

On Wednesday, Chertoff played down the reports of border incursions by the Mexican military. He suggested many of the incursions could have been mistakes, blaming bad navigation by military personnel or attributing the incursions to criminals dressed in military garb.

Mexican officials last week denied any incursions made by their military.

But border agents interviewed over the past year have discussed confrontations those they believe to be Mexican military personnel.

"We're sitting ducks," said a border agent on condition of anonymity. "The government has our hands tied."

LINK

Shok

Source?

If true, there is no excuse that the military should be down there and give them one chance to surrender.  After that, it should be all out.  This is stupid.

what harm is there smoking a little weed in your garage?

Quoted: sounds to me like an open act of war.

Even if the individuals acted on their own and did not have Mexican approval or support, they should be dealt with swiftly and without sympathy.

Quoted: sounds to me like an open act of war.

That's what I keep saying, but everytime I say Jorge needs to get our military out of Irag now and on our own fucking border, I get bombarded with "It's not Jorge's fault, the Dems didn't do anything about it either".

Who gives a fuck? I don't expect worthless Democrats to do anything, but Jorges needs to get this shit resolved RIGHT NOW!

He won't though.

unfuckingbelievable...


ummm, why haven't we set up a couple small military patrols armed to the teeth????

I say we need to give our "law enforecment officers" some armed uav's.  Times like this call for calling in the artilery.  Would almost enjoy seeing the headline that "US law enforcement" as 18,000 of scrap metal for sale, salvaged from 3 mexican hump vees...

Don't be stupid. We need to stay the course in Iraq. We DO need to enforce our borders though. This is bullshit.

One word. Apache. Problem solved. And the Mexicans couldn't do a fucking thing to stop it.

We need the goddamn US ARMY on the border!  That's why they EXIST!  

Seriously???   Stuff like this happens?  

 Maybe SOMEDAY, we'll actually get a government that gives a flying fuck about securing the southern border.


This stuff really makes my blood boil !!!!  

I mean, even if they don't give a shit about illegal immigration, and don't really care about the drug smuggling - this is a national security issue!!!   What if those corrupt mexican military guys had been paid by Al Qeada to help them smuggle an old soviet nuclear warhead over the border?


Damn this pisses me off.

Quoted: Mexican Army troops had several mounted machine guns on the ground more than 200 yards inside the U.S. border near Neely's Crossing, about 50 miles east of El Paso when Border Patrol agents called for backup.

Would that consitute an NFA violation?

there just bringing pot that americans wont bring them selves

you know the liberals are going to be complaining because we are infringing upon the illegals' rights...
PBS story presented stats that only 25% of migrants in US are legal and then went on to describe how sad it was because some employers don't pay them enough...they have families and we should be nice to them....
snipers along the borders...never know where they are...

Quoted: Sounds like we need the TXANG down there with a few Apache gunships.

Hear, hear.

The Tx governor needs no Federal authorization to call out the Guard for a statewide emergency.  Where is the TX governor in all this?  time to station some TOW and AT4 ordnance on the border..

Ops

Quoted: Don't be stupid. We need to stay the course in Iraq. We DO need to enforce our borders though. This is bullshit.

So...Iraq is more important that a foreign invasion happening right here in our own country as we speak?

Just because the U.S. government doesn't consider Mexico a terrorist threat doesn't mean they're not a threat and that they don't need to stop it.

In fact, they shouldn't even need to pull out of Irag because they should have solved this many years before the Iraq war even started.

Typical of U.S. policy though, do something somewhere else even though things need to be addressed here. Like foreign aid, yeah we spend tons of money on foreign aid because we don't need anything right here at home.

Blah, blah.... Our state department will CONTINUE suck on Vicente Fox's "chorizo". God forbid if we offend the mexicans! No one is going to do dick about this kind of stuff, happens all the time and will continue to happen.

Quoted: unfuckingbelievable... ummm, why haven't we set up a couple small military patrols armed to the teeth????

Because President Bush is in bed with Vincente Fox, and doesn't give a shit how illegals are killing our economy?

I think the boarder guards could use some armor and a helo or two.

three words...civilian marksmanship program

Quoted: Quoted: unfuckingbelievable... ummm, why haven't we set up a couple small military patrols armed to the teeth???? you ever measured the length of the border with Mexico?  A couple small patrols? TRG

a couple may be two, but "small" is relative...perhaps 500-1000 soldiers

people bitch and moan when you offer sending in the ARMY b/c "they're needed in Iraq".  

despite the fact that it appears that this occurs more often than we think:
Doyal said such incidents are common at Neely's Crossing
"Department of Homeland Security document reporting 216 incursions by Mexican soldiers during the past 10 years"

I'm afraid it'll be a while before people pull their heads out of there asses and realize that this could develop into a more serious issue than Iraq (if it isn't already)

Quoted: sounds to me like an open act of war. mexican MILITARY vehicles and troops open crossing the border with aggresive intent. the mexican .gov needs to serverly track and punish those involved. anything less and we have every reason to believe it was a sanctioned action by their government. Fuck 'em. Turn loose the marines.

I'm a little skeptical about the validity of this. I can't imagine someone like Hannity or O'Reilly wouldn't be all over this.

You know if US Military personnel did anything "outside of their orders" they'd be hammered six ways to Sunday. Look at Abu Ghraib. I guess the Mexican "Defense Department" doesn't hold their "soldiers" to the same standard.

20 miles into our border? That's some serious BS. Could the Mexican't military do much against ours? We should just roll in there and crack some skulls.

Quoted: Ohh come on.  They were just undocumented military immigrants.

Oh yeah!

Ya know, even if they have some humvees with MG's on top, somebody has to man the MG.  That gunner is exposed.  Now, a US Border Patrol agent or sherrif's deputy with a good scoped rifle trumps the MG gunner any day.  Coordinate 3 of those guys and take down all three gunners at one time.  Then the other agents/deputies can move in and deal with the remaining soldiers.  As long as the agents/deputies have some AR15's, they equalf the Mexican military with there G3's or M16's or whatever they have.  

Quoted: Quoted: sounds to me like an open act of war. mexican MILITARY vehicles and troops open crossing the border with aggresive intent. the mexican .gov needs to serverly track and punish those involved. anything less and we have every reason to believe it was a sanctioned action by their government. Fuck 'em. Turn loose the marines.

snip/. I can't imagine someone like Hannity or O'Reilly wouldn't be all over this. /snip/

lol

neither of those two would touch such a topic.  it most certainly would backfire in their face...who else could you attribute such a lackadaisaical approach to border security other than "numero uno"?

Quoted: Quoted: Don't be stupid. We need to stay the course in Iraq. We DO need to enforce our borders though. This is bullshit. So...Iraq is more important that a foreign invasion happening right here in our own country as we speak? Just because the U.S. government doesn't consider Mexico a terrorist threat doesn't mean they're not a threat and that they don't need to stop it.

Wouldn't be hard to do both.

LEO's found out about and responded to this incident. All they needed was more equipment.

Some Whiskey Cobras, A-10s, maybe F-16s and some Air Force FACs should help. NG and reservists could use it as training.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Don't be stupid. We need to stay the course in Iraq. We DO need to enforce our borders though. This is bullshit. So...Iraq is more important that a foreign invasion happening right here in our own country as we speak? Mexican soldiers, bribed or coerced, to assist drug running does not equal an invasion. TRG

No that doesn't. Over 10 million of their citizens in the U.S. illegally sure as fuck does though!

Quoted: three words...civilian marksmanship program

Predator plus Hellfire

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Don't be stupid. We need to stay the course in Iraq. We DO need to enforce our borders though. This is bullshit. So...Iraq is more important that a foreign invasion happening right here in our own country as we speak? Mexican soldiers, bribed or coerced, to assist drug running does not equal an invasion. TRG

All I can see is the movie 1941 with Ned Beatty yelling invasion!!!!!!!!!!

Quoted: mexican MILITARY vehicles and troops open crossing the border with aggresive intent. the mexican .gov needs to serverly track and punish those involved. anything less and we have every reason to believe it was a sanctioned action by their government. Fuck 'em. Turn loose the marines.

Yes, they do.  But that ain't gonna happen anytime soon.

Ole' Vincente is thinking, "Hmmm....where else can I get that weed across?"

Quoted: snip/. I can't imagine someone like Hannity or O'Reilly wouldn't be all over this. /snip/ neither of those two would touch such a topic.  it most certainly would backfire in their face...who else could you attribute such a lackadaisaical approach to border security other than "numero uno"?

Hannity seemed to run with the Minuteman border story.

Give them a little credit... they have their moments, even though I think they're both useless talking heads 70% of the time.

Quoted: Quoted: Mexican Army troops had several mounted machine guns on the ground more than 200 yards inside the U.S. border near Neely's Crossing, about 50 miles east of El Paso when Border Patrol agents called for backup. Would that consitute an NFA violation?

Yup it would.

And some folks wonder why cops need belt feds.....

calling Chuck Norris

Invasion USA

Quoted: Quoted: mexican MILITARY vehicles and troops open crossing the border with aggresive intent. the mexican .gov needs to serverly track and punish those involved. anything less and we have every reason to believe it was a sanctioned action by their government. Fuck 'em. Turn loose the marines. Yes, they do.  But that ain't gonna happen anytime soon. Ole' Vincente is thinking, "Hmmm....where else can I get that weed across?"

His farmers have to eat too ya know.

If true, this should be on the front page.  Our media is castrated beyond belief.

Time to write a scathing letters to the prez.  

Subject: Secure our borders or I'm voting Democrat!!

Dear Mr. President,

http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_3430815

Theives, drug smugglers, Mexican military, and just about anyone else can cross our boarders.  Our boarders must be sealed now or I'm voting the Democratic ticket in '08.

Thank you,

Shok
Iowa, USA

Shok

Quoted: sounds to me like an open act of war.

+1 They might get the idea after the first couple of air stirkes are called in!!!

Quoted: Time to write a scathing letters to the prez.   Subject: Secure our borders or I'm voting Democrat!! Dear Mr. President, http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_3430815 Theives, drug smugglers, Mexican military, and just about anyone else can cross our boarders.  Our boarders must be sealed now or I'm voting the Democratic ticket in '08. Thank you, Shok Iowa, USA Shok

[president]This guy can't even spell border, hah! Go ahead and vote democrat.[/president]

border patrol and LEO's should have dealt with it, those guys cruise around with Ar's and evil M-16's and are scared to fire a shot. Their job is to protect the border!

I am so PISSED. I wish the .gov would stop avoiding this issue and Git-R-Done

To everyone who is whining about how they wish the .gov was doing something, you can start by sending stories like this to your elected critters. Write them once a day and don't stop untill they get their asses in gear, and if they don't get in gear, then vote their asses out.

Don't just sit there and whine about it.