Patterico's Pontifications

2/23/2007

DRJ Pores Through the Border Patrol Trial Transcripts – Fabens Port of Entry Map (Not in the Transcript)

Filed under: General — DRJ @ 3:52 pm



One of the problems with the online transcript is the lack of exhibits so we can’t see a map of the area. Perhaps this will help us get a better feel for the landmarks and roads discussed in the transcript:

Here’s a link to a USGS topographical map of the Fabens port of entry. While this map may or may not have been part of the transcript, I highly recommend it because it includes many of the roads discussed in the transcript. It also shows the CC Bills gate (in the middle of the map), the levee, the border in the middle of the Rio Grande, the town of Fabens (middle top), and what appears to be the Fabens port of entry (on the right/east side). The east/west roads (Lower, Middle and Upper Island) are clearly marked but I can’t find Fabens/Jess Harris Road.

There are also several circled “76s” on the map between the town of Fabens and the border but I don’t know if those are the sensor locations or if it’s a coincidence that the number 76 appears in that area.

According to the map, I estimate it’s about 2-1/2 to 3 miles from the town of Fabens to the levee as the crow flies. It is undoubtedly more than that when driving on the marked roads, because they meander. I see 2-3 areas that could be the S curve referred to on Fabens/Jess Harris Road but I don’t see any roads marked Fabens/Jess Harris so I’m not sure where that road is on this map. The blocks or grids are probably cultivated fields – there may be dirt roads around the fields but I think it’s unlikely all of these roads are routinely or easily used.

This map is also interesting because Fabens is fairly large compared to the image provided in the transcript – but I should have known that since Fabens has a stoplight. Lots of small Texas towns don’t even have a stoplight so Fabens has to be larger than most to have a light.

Using the scale at the bottom of the linked map, it appears the distance from the levee to the middle of the Rio Grande is a uniform distance throughout the Fabens area and is no more than 500 feet, maybe slightly less. The distance from the levee to the bank of the Rio Grande depends on how wide the river is at that point.

Hopefully someone with better map reading skills than I can locate Fabens/Jess Harris Road. My guess is that it may run along the Fabens Drain or the Border Spur Drain Nos. 1 or 2.

21 Responses to “DRJ Pores Through the Border Patrol Trial Transcripts – Fabens Port of Entry Map (Not in the Transcript)”

  1. Google maps has a much better and more recent (the usgs picture is 1982) aerial photograph of the area. Jess Harris road ends at what is labelled “Tres Jacales Crossing” on the USGS map.

    My rough measurements give about 160 feet from the ditch road to the levee road, 240 feet from the levee road to the river, river 60 feet wide, 240 feet from river to paved road on Mexican side where OAD was picked up or about 700 feet total from ditch road (north of ditch on US side) to paved road on Mexican side. All roughly parallel at this location.

    James B. Shearer (fc887e)

  2. I am pretty sure that I found the location of the incident on Google Earth.

    It is at the site on the Fabens map along the Rio Grande labelled “Tres Jacales Crossing”. The road that ends at the ditch is Jess Harris. You can see that it changes from paved to dirt some distance north of there. That is the intersection of Jess Harris and Wingo Reserve Road. The S-curves are also visible if you follow Jess Harris back toward Fabens (just above the word “San” in “San Elizario Island”.)

    For those with Google Earth, area is centered at:

    31 degrees, 28′ 25″ North
    106 degrees, 12′ 41″ West

    If you can tell where to send it, I can email you a screenshot to post.

    LagunaDave (cb0e49)

  3. From measurements in Google Earth, I get 180 feet from the center of the levee road to the end of Jess Harris (where the van was), 320 feet from the center of the levee road to the center of the river (on a straight line, although both OAD and Compean testified that OAD ran at an angle rather than taking the shortest route), and 900 feet from the river to the road.

    It’s not clear exactly where OAD was picked up, but everyone testified that he crossed the plowed fields, which means a total distance from the van to the pickup of at least 1400 feet (roughly a quarter mile).

    LagunaDave (cb0e49)

  4. LagunaDave,

    Can you send it to Patterico? My posting abilities and knowledge are limited.

    DRJ (605076)

  5. Tres Jacales is in the lower left of the USGS map I linked. If that’s the place this happened, Spur Drain No. 1 is probably the same as Jess Harris/Fabens.

    DRJ (605076)

  6. Or it could be the straightaway that runs past the Cemetery.

    LagunaDave, can you describe where Google map shows Jess Harris is?

    DRJ (605076)

  7. LagunaDave,

    Okay, I understand. Jess Harris is the straightaway and I see the S curve by the “San” in San Elisario. Thank you very much.

    DRJ (605076)

  8. My rough estimate is that its 3-1/2 to 4 miles from the Tres Jacales Crossing to the edge of Fabens.

    DRJ (605076)

  9. I emailed three Google Earth shots to Patterico.

    3.75 miles as the crow flies from the end of Jess Harris to the center of Fabens, according to Google Earth.

    Apart from the S-curves, it is a pretty straight shot, so I doubt the road mileage could be over 4 miles.

    LagunaDave (cb0e49)

  10. Patterico may be too busy to link the screenshots I sent.

    I uploaded one Google Earth screenshot, with labels added by me, here:

    Close-up of Tres Jacales Crossing

    LagunaDave (cb0e49)

  11. MapQuest is another good site that will not only give you the more updated satellite photos, but the overlays as well so that you see exactly which road is the Fabens/Jess Harris Road. Different zoom levels provide more perspective.

    This is great photo to have on hand though because it provides a much larger area with excellent detail. Thank you for posting it!

    Harry Beasley (686801)

  12. MapQuest is another good site that will not only give you the more updated satellite photos, but the overlays as well so that you see exactly which road is the Fabens/Jess Harris Road. Different zoom levels provide more perspective.

    Glad you liked the photo. Google Earth does everything you describe too (zoom, overlay, change perspective), but there was already a wider-area USGS map posted, so I just wanted to show the area right around the crossing.

    LagunaDave (cb0e49)

  13. Wow. I just now saw this. Nice work. The only thing I would say is that as far as where Aldrete might have been picked up, first – it was described as a “highway” and I note on that photo that the levee road on the Mexican side looks paved. So I’d guess that’s the place where the cars stopped – or it’s somewhere outside the photo. Second, Compean described Aldrete as moving “south, to the left, at a 45 degree angle”. So rather than being directly across from the Jess Harris dead end – he would have ended up somewhere closer to the right side of that photo.

    Your 100 yards markers helped a lot to put this into perspective.

    Tracy (b404ed)

  14. LagunaDave,

    The objects you have marked “vega” I thought were the levees. I thought the vega was the relatively small strip of vegetation next to the water before the levee begins.

    J Curtis (d21251)

  15. Vega is not short for “vegetation”. It’s Spanish for small valley.

    Levees are raised embankments around bodies of water – usually manmade – which prevent flooding.

    Tracy (b404ed)

  16. Tracy,

    It was described as a place with weeds and bushes, I call these things “vegetation” regardless of what vega means in Spanish.

    I was under the impression that things he labeled “vega” were the levee banks. That’s all.

    J Curtis (d21251)

  17. I think OAD may have been picked up near the intersection at the extremely left. At one point in his testimony where they show him a photo, he says it was near some buildings.

    LagunaDave (cb0e49)

  18. LagunaDave,

    This link is very helpful, and I’m glad you posted it. I think Patterico has been busy recently and I’m glad you took the initiative in posting it.

    I’m confused about one point. In Vol VII at pp 110-111 and 192, Aldrete-Davila repeatedly testified he ran/angled to the right to avoid Compean and Compean’s vehicle. It makes more sense that he ran to the left toward what appears to be a road on the Mexican side. Or perhaps he was referring to Compean’s right (his left). Can you help me with this?

    DRJ (605076)

  19. I’m confused about one point. In Vol VII at pp 110-111 and 192, Aldrete-Davila repeatedly testified he ran/angled to the right to avoid Compean and Compean’s vehicle. It makes more sense that he ran to the left toward what appears to be a road on the Mexican side. Or perhaps he was referring to Compean’s right (his left). Can you help me with this?

    I think Compean testified to much the same thing.

    OAD testified he did not take the most direct route because he was trying to get away from Compean as well as get to the river, as you say. Given that, I don’t think he would necessarily worry about the road on the other side either – the road is mainly an aid for vehicles, not someone on foot, and as far as OAD is concerned, anywhere in Mexico is a better place to be than where he is at the moment.

    Another reason for angling to the right might be that there is more vegatation (i.e. cover) along the river there. I don’t think OAD mentioned this as a consideration, but if it were me trying to get away, it would have been.

    LagunaDave (cb0e49)

  20. I think Aldrete’s testimony that he ran to the right is with regard to coming out of the ditch.

    Once he’s out of the ditch and over the levee, it’s Compean’s testimony that Aldrete was headed south to Mexico, moving left at a 45 degree angle.

    So if you orient yourself near the end of Jess Harris and make a line angled at about 45 degrees, that puts him near the dirt road that comes down to the river.

    I know the map is copyrighted 2007 – but that’s not when the image was made. I’m pretty sure the the most recent images they have are from 2002 and many images are far older.

    So the buildings could be constructed after the map image was taken.

    Tracy (4b4242)

  21. […] Border Patrol Trial Transcripts – Port of Entry Map More in this ongoing series. h/t DRJ – Patterico […]

    Headline Summaries: Border Security at Traction Control (afad56)


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