Border Patrol Agents Trade Gunfire With Rio Grande Smugglers
Associated Press
03/22/07
Donna, Texas- Two Border Patrol agents investigating bundles of marijuana left along the Rio Grande exchanged gunfire with unseen assailants shooting from the Mexican side of the river, officials said.
The agents were unharmed Tuesday, and no one was believed injured on the Mexican side, Customs and Border Protection spokesman Oscar Saldana said.
It was the second time this year agents were fired at near that section of the river, which is less than 150 feet wide at that point.
The agents had spotted an inflatable raft near the U.S. side of the river near Donna, a small town near the southern tip of Texas, and found four bundles of marijuana totaling 305 pounds on the river bank, Saldana said.
"They went in to take a closer look. At that time the agents came under fire," Saldana said. "They immediately took cover and responded by firing as well."
The raft, carrying more marijuana, apparently returned to the Mexican shore.
Shots also were fired at agents in the area on Jan. 17.
"We anticipate more incidents like this one," Saldana said. "The smugglers feel frustrated. They're starting to take more and more drastic measures."
http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6262969&nav=1TjD
The agents were unharmed Tuesday, and no one was believed injured on the Mexican side, Customs and Border Protection spokesman Oscar Saldana said.
It was the second time this year agents were fired at near that section of the river, which is less than 150 feet wide at that point.
The agents had spotted an inflatable raft near the U.S. side of the river near Donna, a small town near the southern tip of Texas, and found four bundles of marijuana totaling 305 pounds on the river bank, Saldana said.
"They went in to take a closer look. At that time the agents came under fire," Saldana said. "They immediately took cover and responded by firing as well."
The raft, carrying more marijuana, apparently returned to the Mexican shore.
Shots also were fired at agents in the area on Jan. 17.
"We anticipate more incidents like this one," Saldana said. "The smugglers feel frustrated. They're starting to take more and more drastic measures."
http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6262969&nav=1TjD
**
Smugglers shoot at border agents
Jeremy Roebuck
March 20, 2007 - 1:14PM
SOUTH OF DONNA — Border Patrol agents investigating a possible drug smuggling operation encountered gunfire from the Mexican side of the border Tuesday morning. No one was hurt, an agency spokesman said. The agents stopped around 7:30 a.m. just south of the intersection of Tower Road and Military Highway, after spotting a raft carrying marijuana floating near the U.S. side of the river, said Border Patrol spokesman Oscar Saldaña. As the agents approached the bank, someone across the river fired several rounds, Saldaña said. The agents returned fire, but said later that they didn’t think they hit anyone. Saldaña could not release a description of the shooters or say how many men may have been involved in the attack because they took cover in a brush patch. After the incident, agents retrieved 305 pounds of marijuana in four bundles from the U.S. side of the river. This is the second attack in the Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector this month. Two weeks ago, an agent came under attack from a suspected illegal immigrant throwing rocks near the Hidalgo-Reynosa port of entry. He sustained minor injuries, but his assailant fled to Mexico. “We’ve been anticipating more incidents like this,” Saldaña said. “We have more people on the ground now, and with more people, you’re going to run into more things.”
Jeremy Roebuck
March 20, 2007 - 1:14PM
SOUTH OF DONNA — Border Patrol agents investigating a possible drug smuggling operation encountered gunfire from the Mexican side of the border Tuesday morning. No one was hurt, an agency spokesman said. The agents stopped around 7:30 a.m. just south of the intersection of Tower Road and Military Highway, after spotting a raft carrying marijuana floating near the U.S. side of the river, said Border Patrol spokesman Oscar Saldaña. As the agents approached the bank, someone across the river fired several rounds, Saldaña said. The agents returned fire, but said later that they didn’t think they hit anyone. Saldaña could not release a description of the shooters or say how many men may have been involved in the attack because they took cover in a brush patch. After the incident, agents retrieved 305 pounds of marijuana in four bundles from the U.S. side of the river. This is the second attack in the Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector this month. Two weeks ago, an agent came under attack from a suspected illegal immigrant throwing rocks near the Hidalgo-Reynosa port of entry. He sustained minor injuries, but his assailant fled to Mexico. “We’ve been anticipating more incidents like this,” Saldaña said. “We have more people on the ground now, and with more people, you’re going to run into more things.”
posted by jillosophy at 3/22/2007 09:38:00 AM
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