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.
#38 People’s stupidity has no bounds and you’re proof of that. There was no immigration law before. There’s one now. Laws cannot be made retroactively, get it?
#39 Thruth be told, he’s protecting americans with that sign. Only those that don’t read it (like #33) are going to be harmed apparently. But no harm done, since people like #33 will see that, even if something happens to them, they’re not gonna blame him for that. May, just maybe, they’ll blame themselves for yapping about that unlawful immigration law by the cell phone while passing past it.
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)
The solution to all this is we become part of mexicon…their president and congress are lots cheaper.
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.
The genius of progressiveness solves the entire issue, just redistribute America’s wealth to Mexico…immigration problem solved.
And I still think it worth exploring we can our legislature, and hire the Mexican congress to do the job.
We would probably receive better representation, they might actually care what we think.
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.
#54 You beg the question, a world without borders is the goal of progressives, equalize the wealth.
Its the goal of our President, and most of congress.
I was only thinking outside of the box…a quicker way we can accomplish this is disband Congress and the Executive branch, and adopt the Mexican constitution…
Then you should be overjoyed…comprehensive immigration reform thus achieved.
Also wealth will quickly flow south, to those who deserve it.
Soon we will all enjoy the same living standard…as it should be.
No longer will America menace the world with its marauding armies…Our fearless President will not feel compelled to apologize…for the first time he will feel proud he is a MexiAmerican.
There is only one wrinkle in the Progressive utopia Pres. Obama and Congress would have us enter…once all the wealth has justly went south, they might build a wall and use their Army to keep us out.
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..
#56 You aren’t feeling the liberation…
While drug lords ect make big bucks…that’s ok.
Only Americans can break law…minorities cannot not, they are powerless.
That’s why our Magnificent Attorney General, doesn’t prosecute alleged hate crimes by minorities on crackers…its impossible a powerless minority do a hate crime.
While we must prosecute to the fullest any American who breaks the law, surely we must give those who have suffered at the hands of imperialists, a pass…they are only claiming what is rightfully theirs.
By now all here should be able to connect the dots.
Although the overwhelming majority of America was against the bailouts of fat cats in Wall Street and Main street, against giving terrorists civilian trials, against tying them in NY, against apologizing to the world for our alleged crimes, against creating a billion dollar stimulus slush fund, against letting undocumented Democrats steal elections, against Obamacare, against open borders, against Cap & trade, against shutting down oil drilling, against funding George Soares Oil drilling in water deeper than in the gulf with Billions of taxpayer money, against prosecuting Arizona, against labeling Arizona law against human rights to the UN, against the Victory Mosque, against refurbishing Mosques world wide, against Kobe beef consumed almost nightyly at White house parties, against Michele’s $4000 hand bags and trips to Spain etc….
That perhaps Obama doesn’t give a flip what you care about…that he is in it for the perks…and the protection money he can wring from hyper regulation of industry.
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?