The federal government has posted signs along a major interstate highway in Arizona, more than 100 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border, warning travelers the area is unsafe because of drug and alien smugglers, and a local sheriff says Mexican drug cartels now control some parts of the state.
The signs were posted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) along a 60-mile stretch of Interstate 8 between Casa Grande and Gila Bend, a major east-west corridor linking Tucson and Phoenix with San Diego. They warn travelers that they are entering an “active drug and human smuggling area” and they may encounter “armed criminals and smuggling vehicles traveling at high rates of speed.” Beginning less than 50 miles south of Phoenix, the signs encourage travelers to “use public lands north of Interstate 8” and to call 911 if they “see suspicious activity.” “Mexican drug cartels literally do control parts of Arizona,” he said. “They literally have scouts on the high points in the mountains and in the hills and they literally control movement. They have radios, they have optics, they have night-vision goggles as good as anything law enforcement has.
“This is going on here in Arizona,” he said. “This is 70 to 80 miles from the border – 30 miles from the fifth-largest city in the United States.”
He said he asked the Obama administration for 3,000 National Guard soldiers to patrol the border, but what he got were 15 signs.
But like the man said…the borders are quite secure.
But really, what the h*ll has happened to Homeland Security? Wouldn’t this be something they ought to be majorly concerned about? So why aren’t they, if this item is true? Who called off the so-called “war on drugs”, that this invasion and takeover isn’t ringing many alarm bells? If this were the Russians, waltzing across Alaska, there would be all kinds of screaming about “Amerika” coming true. But drug cartels taking over AZ, well that’s not so bad.
This “Coyote” crap has been going on since the Reagan administration (Yes I said REAGAN, who encouraged illegal immigration to break unions, and gave them amnesty… twice!)
We have been ignoring the problem for 3 decades, because nobody wants to deal with it. The truth is the problem was a LOT WORSE about a decade ago when the economy was a lot better and worth the risk. Nobody cared then either.
Today things are a lot calmer, but the right wing is trying to drum up this crap for political gain: The majority of the quotes in this article about “Mexican drug cartels now control some parts of the state” come from Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, a local inept and radically right leaning law man who is facing re-election and needs to drum up issues. Its not true!
All the war on drugs did was make the bad guys change focus from drugs to human trafficking which is a lot more profitable for them.
I’m not going to join this argument. It seems to have drawn out the worst from both sides. There are some truly idiotic comments above.
I just want to say, the signs are real and so is the danger. That’s a beautiful part of the country and it’s a shame people aren’t safe enjoying it.
It’s also sad to watch Mexico sliding into anarchy faster than a snake down a hole.
Change you can believe in!
ok,
I thought there was a LAW about the size of READABLE TEXT…
Could you see this at 50mph??
I thought one of the main duties of President was to protect Americans?
Putting signs up in our own country warning us not to go there because something may happen to you? Obama I think you need to read the oath you took. I guess I may need that health care plan if I go to far south in Arizona?
#38–Donn==Native Amereican Indians??? Yes excellent example of what happens to your society when you don’t control immigration. EXCELLENT POINT. Kinda just too bad it goes directly opposite to the idiotic point you are actually trying to make?
Whadda Retard.
What we really need is a brigade of old guys 20 feet inside the border shouting “Hey you kids, get off my lawn!”
Looks to me like we don’t need the federal government anymore. They are so busy doing other things they cannot be bothered with their main responsibility. Protecting the borders is just to much trouble for them. They are just too busy taking our guns away UN Small Arms Treaty and making sure we can’t grow gardens S 510.
I live in Maricopa, just about 15 miles north of where one of Sheriff Babeu’s deputies was ambushed by two or more Mexican Drug Cartel operatives armed with automatic weapons. He survived, thankfully, but the violence perpetrated by these thugs has been escalating.
This isn’t fantasy land, and not some Tea Party conspiracy to drum up racial hatred.
It’s not the Tea Party or Republicans who warehouse illegals in drop houses in downtown Phoenix and ransom them out to their families.
It’s not the Tea Party or Republicans turning illegal immigrants into drug mules by forcing them to bring backpacks full of pot across the border as part of their coyote ‘toll’.
If you believe that these types of things are okay, then by all means, stick your head in the sand and blame the Ronald Reagan and the George Bush’s.
If you think that the primary purpose of government should be to protect its’ citizens rather than sucking your wallet dry to pay for anchor babies then you need to direct your anger at your congressman, where it belongs.
People who are not aware of the facts here in Arizona, and New Mexico, and Texas, should edumicate themselves and shut their pie holes until they do.
Here, here, Mr Windows!
Oh, bullshit. I don’t doubt that there are plenty of illegals coming through the area (the ones that don’t die of thirst out in the desert anyway), and I’m sure there are plenty of cars carrying dope, but come on. I live here and I can assure you that thousands upon thousands of people drive down the interstates around Phoenix and Tucson every day of every week without incident. This is fear-mongering propaganda bullshit.
Uh oh…here they come!…led by a bandido guy who looks and talks just like the one in “Treasure of The Sierra Madre”. You can tell him by the big pointed hat, the one Mexicans take their siestas under. Call him Pancho (as in Pancho Villa, pronounced ‘wee-ya’). He has a big funny laugh.
Honestly, the good folks of Mexico are many and HATE the lawless turmoil that’s been going on…they want peace and quiet and their kids to go to college etc. just like we El Norte-ians. Like the guys from Mexico who did such a beautiful job fixing up the stonework on my parent’s property, right here in NY State. They work hard and want to better themselves.
We should be putting our heads together with these folks, try to figure out what to do (if it were done right, perhaps it could be put on the level of just dealing with nasty neighborhood teenagers)
Its an American disease to think we can talk with enemies and reach a solution to our mutual problems. Its actually rare in history when that actually happens. Usually takes a war to settle the issue for more than 50 years.
You CANNOT have peace between a rich country and a poor country sharing a border without a fence.
Read em and weep.
This isn’t fantasy land, and not some Tea Party conspiracy to drum up racial hatred.
Actually it is. This stuff has been going on for 30 years with Republicans in power for 20 of it. Suddenly it is an issue when illegal immigration is DOWN?
It’s not the Tea Party or Republicans who warehouse illegals in drop houses in downtown Phoenix and ransom them out to their families.
It’s not the Tea Party or Republicans turning illegal immigrants into drug mules by forcing them to bring backpacks full of pot across the border as part of their coyote ‘toll’.
True, its the bad guys fault. It’s also our screwed up immigration laws which make it damn near impossible for people to become legal citizens.
If you believe that these types of things are okay, then by all means, stick your head in the sand and blame the Ronald Reagan and the George Bush’s.
Typical black and white thinking of the right wing. It is not an either/or situation. There is blame a plenty to spread around. The GOP fails to take responsibility for blocking multiple attempts to immigration reform.
If you think that the primary purpose of government should be to protect its’ citizens rather than sucking your wallet dry to pay for anchor babies then you need to direct your anger at your congressman, where it belongs.
In case you are unfamiliar with the Constitution, the term “anchor babies” actually refers to US Citizens. So if government is to protect its citizens, it must protect ALL its citizens.
#50–ArianeB==you are quite the advocate for “open borders.” Why is that???
1. There is nothing “sudden” about this issue. Its been a hot button ever since Reagan provided amnesty with no border controls or earlier when the Bracero Program was terminated and so on. I think the latest upsurge in interest has coincided with, if not caused by, the increasingly terrible narco situation in Mexico?
2. Anchor Babies. The history of the applicable Amendment did not consider the situation of people illegally in the USA for the purpose of creating an anchor baby. Its almost an irrelevant issue made relevant only because we don’t enforce immigration against the parents–ie, deport them and have the american citizen accompany them home. Supreme Court could very easily rule anchor babies resulting from illegal entry are not citizens. That issue is still alive.
Good Catholic or just an anarchist?
Yeah it’s true…technologically advanced societies tend to ro-oll over ones that are less so, been happening since forever. The trouble starts when the juggernaut doing the taking over thinks that it also has some kind of ‘moral’ advantage as well. Same old tribal jive in the end.
Say Alfie–why would the Mexican Legislature care about what the gringo’s think when they show they don’t care what their own people (sic) think? Does make one think about who either legislature cares about? Have to show convincing evidence they care about anything except themselves.
Alfie–a bad joke doesn’t get any better by repetition. If it hit BIG, then save it and post it again a year from now.
Otherwise, you are just barking as an old dog that can’t hunt any longer.
Milkbone.
55,
the problems with Adopting Mexico.
WHO would fight, adopting mexico into the unions?
RICH,
CORPS,
Drug lords,
Rich mexicans, making money from Corps,
tourist trade, and all those tourist traps,
DRUG controllers in the USA, making TONS of money from the drug lords in mexico.
WHY?
Corps can make HUGe profit off cheap labor..then charge the USA AS IF’ it was made in the USA.
Tourist traps that charge you 2times the USA prices, for labor thats <1/4..
Drug lords and USA distributors make GREAT money..
Then the EPA, Health and welfare, and all our agencies trying to UP GRADE all those corp controlled business in mexico..
On Topic:
Where the hell are these signs in every major urban center where drug crime is rampant?
#38
Donn
Man there are NO native Americans. They all immigrated. Everyone on these two continents are immigrants.
When everyne finally accepts that they are ALL the children of immigrants, THEN the isolationist shit will end. Just like when they all accept EVERYONE is the same race that will stop.
This is no longer the 19th century people. Science shows we are all one race and all immigrants in the Americas.
But then these isolationist, bigots are probably clinging to their faith and guns.
#58
And this is different from any other President since the 1870’s????
You are all so naive if you think just changing one plutocrat for another will fix anything.
Every one of you monkeys are just asleep.
Cursor_
HEY CURSOR–I’m an isolationist bigot and proud of it, as all bigots are!
Seems to me the question of whether or not “any” country should open its borders to immigration is a debatable question? Germany opened its borders to Turkish immigrants because it needed labor and it was cheaper to import bodies rather than pay higher wages or automate. Now they are stuck with an unemployable class of Muslims who hate their artificial low class status. Same with every other country that makes the same choice===like the USA right now.
Immigration “can” be good, but it can be bad as well. Pro’s and Con’s????????? Yes, I think so.
To be knee jerk all the way to one side or the other like yourself and Ariane just shows some other issue is driving the sentiment. Ariane has not posted back. Maybe you will?
Note to future world leaders: Do not import an underclass.
#60
The US opened its borders to immigrants between 1789 and 1850. Seemed to work damn well as the country is still around to this day.
In the 1850’s we started a quota system. On of all people the Japanese. Not the Spanish or the French or even the Brits, all of whom we had beefs against.
And more immigrants were allowed in with little or no standards. Hence how you and I and everyone else came into the country. Built them things like monuments, bridges, highways and subways. Wow in fact it was pretty easy to immigrate and become a hard working member of society you just had to find a way to get here. And they were many people in the business of doing that. Cramming them into ships so tight that many got sick and/or died getting here. Wow does that sound like the people who pack in mexicans??? Yeah it does.
IF we had the isolationist view you hold the nation would be like Canada. Huge vast open area, 30 million people max. Good idea huh? I don’t think so. But caucasians fear that them coloured people might take away those toilet slopping, food picking, ditch digging jobs in the summer jobs.
I am for an immigration system that will allow more in like it used to. The current immigration system is onerous. It is TOO hard to get into the country now. OUR forefathers would never had made it under the present system. So why so rough?
Fear, avarice, elitism.
Or as you say about the super rich and can now be considered hypocritical on your part when it comes to citizenship:
Screw you, I got mine!
Yep you have yours. I have mine. I just think some others could have it too. And some of those people are not from Europe.
Cursor_
Cursor–good answer. Wrong headed, but still very good. I’ll pick up on it should you post here or wait for elsewhere.
There is a valid difference between establishing “fairness”/pragmatism within a society/culture/country vs trying to do the same for the entire world. The first is pragmatic, the second is impossible.