Mexican cartels sending young men in military uniforms across U.S. border via remote parts of Arizona
By isabelle // 2024-07-11
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Residents of remote areas in Arizona are reporting floods of “fighting-age males” equipped with military uniforms making their way from Mexico into the U.S. in areas that aren’t manned by Border Patrol agents. Judicial Watch recently published a report on the problem, which is being largely ignored by the mainstream media, with photos, diagrams and firsthand accounts of how the residents of rural Arizona towns are being terrorized by the influx and the many dangers it presents. They explain how Pima and Santa Cruz counties have been hit with incredible amounts of crime and violence as Mexican cartels cross there and carry out their human and drug smuggling activities. Several cattle farmers there running farms that have been in their families for generations have captured thousands of illegal immigrants making their way through their property on private security cameras. One law enforcement official told the organization: “Violent activity has drastically increased over the past three years since the border is now perceived to be wide open.” Arivaca has been particularly hard hit. Situated 11 miles away from Nogales, Mexico, this cattle ranching town is seeing many longtime residents leaving out of fear. Although there is a Border Patrol checkpoint east of the town, the Department of Homeland Security does not plan to send any agents there, despite reports by residents and other law enforcement agents of masses of young men entering the country there in what is clearly an organized operation on the part of Mexican cartels. One law enforcement source reported: “They are unemployed, the majority are fighting age males and there is a strong possibility some have undergone some level of insurgency training.” The men wear matching camouflage military uniforms and carry camouflaged backpacks. They are also using carpet booties to avoid creating footprint tracks, and ranchers are finding large numbers of discarded carpet booties on their land. This is posing a serious danger to cattle who consume them. One rancher in the area said he has recorded more than 3,500 illegal immigrants on his property since Biden took office – a tenfold rise over what he saw while Trump was president. He also said that he hasn’t seen Border Patrol agents for quite some time as they struggle to stay on top of the influx of migrants.

Ranchers told to avoid certain areas of their own property in wake of cartel danger

The problem is so bad that one rancher, who was afraid to share his name, said that they’ve been told by law enforcement not to go to certain areas of their own ranches and to especially avoid going out there when it’s dark outside. One rancher said that the U.S. Forest Service told him they aren’t monitoring enclosure areas that were set up there for endangered species because of the risks. The problem is driving longtime residents away; the population of 1,200 who lived there just a few years ago has already dropped down to around 600. Jim Chilton, a longtime resident of Arivaca whose ranch sits against 5.5 miles off the border, complained that the fencing is broken and he said he sees migrants nearly every time he drives near the border area of his property. The 84-year-old also said his ranch home has been broken into multiple times and many of those crossing are bringing drugs, which he sometimes finds on his property. This is not just having an effect on residents; the trash and human waste being left behind by migrants and smugglers is impacting the environment and livestock who live there. Many cattle have become ill from consuming plastic waste, while others are dying after ingesting small amounts of drugs stuck on the wrappers discarded by smugglers. The border is so easy to cross that dozens of Mexican cattle have also been caught on their land, potentially exposing American cattle to new strains and diseases that could contaminate the American beef supply. Sources for this article include: JudicialWatch.org ABC15.com
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