Patterico's Pontifications

3/2/2007

DRJ Pores Through the Border Patrol Trial Transcripts – Robert H. Arnold, Jr. (Volume XI)

Filed under: General — DRJ @ 1:32 am



The 13th witness of the trial was Robert H. Arnold, Jr., and the word of the day was “pursuit” or, if you ask the Judge, “boring”:

From Transcript XI:

Witness #13 – Robert H. Arnold, Jr.:

Government direct examination (by Debra Kanof):

57-58 – Arnold has been a BP agent for 11 years and is currently a BP supervisor at the Fabens’ station. He was originally an agent in Ysleta for 3 years and then at Fort Hancock for 7 years. Arnold was promoted to supervisor and relocated to Fabens about 1-1/2 years ago. He supervises approximately 20 people as a first-line (lowest level) supervisor.

58-59 – Arnold was on duty as a supervisor in Fabens on February 17, 2005. His supervisor was Jon Richards. Around 1 PM, Arnold was assisting agents who were processing undocumented aliens in the back [of the station].

59-60 – Arnold had returned to his office with a prosecution packet when he heard a radio call on the receiver in the hallway across from his office door. There are also receivers in the watch office, Richards’ office, PAIC Robinson’s office, and the special operations agent’s office. [There are 2 receivers in the hallway – p. 85.] First-line supervisors do not have receivers in their offices.

60-61 – There are other first-line supervisors at Fabens but Arnold was the only one on duty February 17 around 1 PM. The other supervisor and about 4 agents were at firearms qualification – the quarterly qualification to show proficiency in firearms. Other agents, including Ramos and Compean, had qualified on February 16.

61-62 – On February 17, Arnold thought he heard a radio call that there was a vehicle “loaded up” and leaving. He didn’t hear where it was.

62 – You can’t tell if a radio transmission is on local or repeater unless you look at the receiver. It has an indicator light that shows whether it’s on or off, but it receives all communications regardless of the channel.

62-63 – Next Arnold heard a call that a blue van was going toward Fabens at the lights. Around then Richards walked up and he and Arnold listened to the receiver. Arnold heard Ramos say he was up by the lights and standing by.

63-64 – Arnold gave a written statement in this case. C. Sanchez had problems transcribing his statement because of Arnold’s handwriting. Sanchez thought Arnold said the vehicle ran the lights but it should have said the vehicle was near the lights. It was “ran” not “near.” Nobody ran the lights at Texas 20 and Fabens (the only lights in town).

64 – Arnold refreshed his recollection from his statement. Arnold thought he heard Ramos say that he had the vehicle near the lights, and — at the Good Times Store, and that he was getting ready to light it up to see what would happen. “Light it up” means activate emergency lights and attempt to stop a vehicle.

64 – Arnold next heard that the vehicle had turned around and was headed south to Davis Farms. Ramos said he had a failure to yield, which means the vehicle failed to stop.

64-66 – At some point, Arnold heard Ramos say he was deactivating his lights and would follow to get a direction of travel. That means the agent is not going to pursue but will follow the vehicle at a safe distance and see where it goes. That is not a pursuit to Arnold. To pursue, an agent must call out a pursuit to communications.

66-67 – Richards instructed Arnold to go out and see what was going on. Arnold got the keys from his office and drove to Davis Farms via Socorro towards Hole in the Wall and then to the levee area. Arnold had only been stationed in Fabens about 6-1/2 months and was still learning the geography. He thought the van was going to Davis Farms but it was actually about ¼ mile east of the east tree line of Davis Farms.

67-68 – Arnold didn’t hear any radio traffic when he was in his car. Before he got in his car, he heard Ramos request a Sheriff’s unit and advise all units to go 10-23 – cease all radio transmissions. Arnold doesn’t know if Ramos was on the local or repeater channel. Ramos was communicating that others shouldn’t talk except him. A 10-23 is for emergency transmissions and is “usually only by the person who initiated the — whatever was going on — and supervisory personnel.”

68-69 – Arnold tried to contact Ramos at least twice from the service radio in his vehicle. Arnold isn’t sure if he was on repeater or local.

69 – Arnold arrived at Davis Farms and waited about a minute at the Lee Moor gate west of Davis Farms. Arnold realized no one was coming toward him and no one would answer the radio, so he proceeded east on the road north of the canal.

69-70 – Arnold called out Ramos’ number, Foxtrot 15, at least once and there was no response. Then he asked for another agent to respond and there was no response. Arnold was about 2 miles from Jess Harris Road so they should have heard him if he as on the local frequency.

70-72 – Arnold travels east on the levee road but the farmer has plowed the road at Davis Farms. He tries to get through without getting stuck. Arnold gets a cell phone call from Richards asking what’s happening, and Arnold tells him he isn’t there yet because of the plowed road. Richards tells Arnold he’s on Jess Harris and almost there. Arnold can see Richards’ white unmarked vehicle going down Jess Harris from his location. Arnold told Richards he would be there “in just a little bit.”

72-73 – Arnold arrives about a minute after Richards. Richards is out of his vehicle talking to Ramos. Mendoza, Jacquez, and Vasquez are there, too. Arnold joins Richards. Everyone is looking at the van. It’s loaded with bundles of what appears to be marijuana.

73-74 – Compean walks across from the levee to the south side or lip of the canal but he doesn’t cross the canal. Ramos is by the van. Compean had dirt and sand on his shoulders and head. Richards asked Compean if he was okay and what happened, and Compean said he got dirt kicked up in his face as he chased the guy.

74-75 – Arnold didn’t notice anything particular about the agents’ behavior except for Ramos, who was “hyper” and “bouncing around.” As Ramos’ supervisor for 6-1/2 months, Arnold knew that Ramos is usually a hyper person but he was extremely hyper that day. Richards pointed this out to Ramos – he said, “Hey, Nacho, settle down. You know, you’re acting like this is your first load.” Ramos responded, “Ah, it’s been a long time” and then he “pretty much” settled down.

75 – Richards instructed the agents to load up the marijuana and take it to the station, and for Ramos to start his I-44. Richards told a couple of guys to stay until the wrecker came for the van.

75-76 – Usually the person who initiates the case does the I-44. Arnold doesn’t know why Richards told Ramos to do the I-44 instead of Compean. An I-44 is a report of apprehension or seizure that must be filed for anything seized, even if it isn’t illegal (“cell phones, horses, whatever you seize”).

76-77 – Arnold returned to the station and his office. The agents started processing in back.

77-78 – Later, Richards came by and asked Arnold to join him in checking on the agents in the back. As they were walking back, Compean had cleaned up and was leaving the bathroom. Richards asked Compean if he was okay and if anything happened, and Compean said he was okay and nothing happened. Compean said he hurt his hand when he fell down. Compean did not say anyone took him down or that he struggled with anyone. Compean did not say he was assaulted or that he shot at anyone.

78 – The first time Arnold heard about a discharge of weapons was in March [2005] when he got a call from PAIC Robinson. Robinson told Arnold to “warm up my computer, that he was going to have to do a significant incident report on a couple of agents that were getting ready to be arrested.” Robinson did not give Arnold any names or specifics. This happened the day before Arnold gave his statement.

78 – A SIR is a report to headquarters of significant incidents like a “shooting, major accident, arrest, media interest, something like that.”

78-79 – Robinson did not tell Arnold what the SIR was about, except that 2 agents would be arrested. He did not say whom the agents were or why they were going to be arrested.

79-80 – An hour later, Robinson instructed Arnold to pull the weapons, badges and credentials for agents Juarez, Vasquez, and Jacquez when they came on shift that evening. Arnold did that but he still didn’t know why it was being done. At 2, about shift change, Robinson called back and said Ramos and Compean were being arrested for attempted murder. Arnold did not ask why – Robinson gives the orders and Arnold follows them. Robinson also told Arnold to hold off on the SIR because the Office of Internal Audit (OIA) was going to file it.

81 – Jacquez turned in all his equipment at the station. Arnold had to follow Juarez and Vasquez to their homes to pick up some equipment they had at home. The agents didn’t tell Arnold there had been a shooting and Arnold didn’t ask.

81-82 – Arnold picked up Juarez’s equipment first. Vasquez went home to get things ready and called Arnold on his cell phone to tell him where he lived. Arnold picked up Vasquez’s equipment next.

82 – The only other thing Arnold did regarding the February incident was to prepare his sworn statement for C. Sanchez of DHS-OIG on March 23, 2005.

Ramos cross-examination (by Mary Stillinger):

82-83 – Local radio transmissions include car-to-car and handheld-to-handheld. That is different from the repeater/tower traffic. The radio receiver in the station picks up local and repeater transmissions. Arnold clarified his earlier testimony regarding the base station receiver – you cannot tell if it is receiving local or repeater transmissions on the base station receiver. The base station receiver is the station’s radio receiver. It has a higher output.

84-85 – The only way to tell if the transmission is local or repeater at the base station is if the signal is weak, it’s probably direct or local. In addition, if someone from sector is on the radio then it’s a repeater transmission. There is frequent traffic where you don’t know if it’s local or repeater.

85-86 – Anyone in the station can hear the hallway receiver if it’s turned loud enough. Part of a supervisor’s responsibilities is to monitor that traffic. The shift schedule (G-481) designates all supervisors on duty as a pursuit manager.

86-88 – Sometimes you can tell local traffic because it’s weak due to the distance of the transmitting radio. It’s a line-of-sight radio, so you can have interference if you have objects between the transmitter and the receiver. The direct radio from the intersection of Fabens and Alameda should be heard at the Fabens station, because they are only about a mile apart.

88-89 – Arnold reviewed GOV EXH 92, the transcript from February 17, 2005. Arnold’s name does not appear in the transcript as one of the speakers. The transcript should include all the repeater traffic, so Arnold was probably using the direct frequency. However, there were also some comments on the repeater that were unintelligible.

89 – There’s nothing wrong with using local/direct radio. It can be good to use if you don’t want to tie up the repeater. Arnold thought he probably didn’t realize the vehicle radio was on direct.

89-91 – Arnold thought he heard Ramos say the van was going to the light. There’s only one light in Fabens, at Fabens and Alameda. The repeater transcript said Juarez called in that the van was headed northbound toward the light, but Arnold believes he heard Ramos say that. There could have been other transmissions on the direct frequency.

91-92 – Agents don’t use their names on the radio. They use their star numbers, and sometimes they get excited and just start talking. The agents didn’t identify themselves and Arnold did not listen to the tape. He was still learning everyone’s voices in February 2005.

92-93 – Arnold thought that Ramos was the agent who said the van was going back south but, according to the transcript, it was Ramos who said that. The van was going back toward Davis Farms and the river. Sometimes load vehicles try to get away by going south.

93-94 – In the transcript, Juarez says, “It’s close. I think we got this baby.” Arnold thought he heard Ramos say “I’m going to light it up and see what happens.” If Ramos was not the person who initiated the emergency lights, Arnold may have been mistaken in thinking that Ramos said those things instead of Juarez. Or Ramos may have used the direct radio.

94-95 – Arnold thought Ramos called in a 10-23, but the transcript shows Juarez and then Mendoza calling in a 10-23. Arnold still thinks he heard Ramos call a 10-23. He thinks everyone was calling a 10-23. Arnold disagreed that his direct testimony said that Ramos called a 10-23 that meant “nobody but me talk.” Arnold meant the agents were saying, “clear the channel” so no one else could interrupt their transmissions. It doesn’t mean no one can talk.

95-96 – Arnold did not write down his recollections of February 17 at the time. His notes were made about a month later when C. Sanchez interviewed him. It’s possible there were other vehicles pursued and loads seized between February 17 and when Arnold wrote his statement. It’s also possible his memory wasn’t perfect.

96-97 – Arnold remembered that Ramos called for a sheriff’s unit but a sheriff’s unit never responded. Arnold thinks it happened but it was not on the repeater transcript.

97-98 – Arnold was trying to go west of Davis Farms because that’s where he thought the van was going to be. He doesn’t remember hearing a radio call that the van was on Jess Harris. Richards called Arnold for an update and Arnold told him he wasn’t there yet. Richards told Arnold he was southbound on Jess Harris. They did not discuss the pursuit. Arnold knew they were following the van but he didn’t know there was a pursuit.

98-99 – The Border Patrol had the right and the duty to investigate the van. Part of that investigation involves putting on the emergency lights to try to pull the vehicle over. If the vehicle doesn’t pull over and the agent follows, it becomes a pursuit. The pursuit can be high-speed or low-speed.

99-100 – If the agent turns off his lights and obeys the traffic laws, it’s following and not a pursuit: “[T]he only thing you’re doing is you’re following, until you get your backup there and a direction of travel.” It’s a pursuit if you follow with your lights on.

100-101 – However:

“Q. Okay. But let me ask you this. Let’s say, for instance, the van is traveling the speed limit. Let’s say the speed is — well, let’s not even talk about the van. Okay? Let’s talk about a vehicle is traveling the speed limit, going 45 miles an hour. The speed limit is 45, he’s going 45 miles an hour, he’s obeying all traffic laws. Your vehicle, your Border Patrol agent’s vehicle, turns on his emergency lights and it doesn’t stop.
A. Yes, ma’am.
Q. Okay. If he keeps following with his lights on, that’s a pursuit, correct?
A. If he follows with the lights, yes.
Q. Okay. If he turns off his lights and still follows within the speed limit, that’s not considered a pursuit, it’s called following him?
A. Well, it’s still a pursuit, on that part right there.
Q. Okay.
A. According to the policy.
Q. Okay. So following a vehicle even without your lights on could be a pursuit, correct?
A. It could be, yes.
Q. Or —
A. It’s subjective. I mean, there’s lot of things — a lot of factors that fall into that.
Q. Okay. Would you agree that the vehicle pursuit policy is not simple and clear?
A. That’s true.”

101-102 – The pursuit of the van on February 17 was not an unusual pursuit for the Fabens area.

102 – Arnold has not seen any vehicle pursuit reports filled out in Fabens, although the technical reading of the policy would require a report. Arnold agreed that “that technical literal reading of the policy is not followed in Fabens” and agents are not reprimanded for not filling out those forms. They aren’t trying to hide anything.

102 – Arnold thought the pursuit and drug seizure on February 17 was a job well done and nothing needed to be covered up. “There was no cover up.”

102-103 – Arnold learned of the agents impending arrest on the day they were arrested. Arnold had to put the other agents on administrative leave.

103-104 – No one asked Arnold if the shooting had been reported until the day Arnold gave his statement to C. Sanchez in March 2005. Nobody asked Arnold whether the proper oral notification of a shooting had been made to him until the day he gave a statement.

104-105 – Arnold reviewed GOV EXHS 9 and 10, photos of the van on the lip of the ditch. It was clear from the radio traffic that the agents were following the van on February 17. “Following, chasing, pursuing, something like that was going on.”

105-106 – Arnold did not ask questions at the scene because Richards, his supervisor, was there. He did not want to jump the chain of command. Richards did not ask any questions about the pursuit of the van. Arnold would defer to Richards’ interpretation of the vehicle pursuit policy.

106-107 – Richards was a stickler for paperwork but Arnold agreed the pursuit policy was not “followed to the letter.” This was the first vehicle pursuit Arnold had been involved in at Fabens. It falls to Richards to decide how to enforce the pursuit policy.

Compean cross-examination (by Chris Antcliff):

108 – Violation of the vehicle pursuit policy is an administrative violation, not a crime, and carries a penalty range from reprimand to suspension or termination.

108-109 – Agents don’t jump the chain of command. They go to their first-line supervisor, which is Arnold.

109 – Agents, including Ramos and Compean, had firearms qualifications on February 16 and 17. There was a supervisor at the qualifications on February 17. Some agents are good shots and some are bad shots. Everyone qualifies at a different level.

110 – In February 2005, the Fabens stations was not that big. It’s grown a lot since then.

110-111 – Once a month, the agents and supervisors meet with the PAIC (Patrol Agent in Charge) to discuss whatever was on the PAIC’s agenda. The agents and supervisors usually just sit there and listen.

111-112 – Before each shift, the supervisors meet with the agents and “give out area assignments, vehicle assignments, and any intel that we have for the shift, and send them on their way.” It’s Arnolds’ and Richards’ jobs to know what’s going on with the agents. Richards knew that the agents were qualifying during February 16-17.

112-113 – [Referring to the transcript:] Arnold identified the first call at 1311 when Compean called out a vehicle leaving area 76 quickly. The last call was at 1328 when someone said everything was back to normal. Arnold did not hear any radio traffic for 1-2 minutes of that 17-minute period. It’s possible Arnold was in a dead spot where he couldn’t hear any local radio traffic. It’s also possible that the agents couldn’t hear Arnold’s calls because their handhelds “aren’t the best.”

113-114 – Arnold was interested in finding out what was going on but he wasn’t overly concerned that he didn’t get a response.

114 – Arnold got a cell phone call from Richards, which wasn’t unusual if he wanted to talk about a supervisory issue, if Arnold was out in the field, or if Richards doesn’t want all the agents to hear. Everyone would hear on the repeater.

114-116 – Arnold arrived at Jess Harris about a minute after Richards arrived. He got out of his vehicle and joined the group. He looked in the van. Arnold remembers seeing “Mr. Mendoza, Mr. Jacquez, Mr. Ramos, Mr. Compean, Mr. Vasquez.” He doesn’t remember seeing Agent Yrigoyen at the scene. Arnold only saw 1 vehicle – Compean’s – on the south side of the ditch. It’s possible Yrigoyen’s vehicle was there and Arnold didn’t notice it. Yrigoyen had Mendez, a trainee, with him that day.

116-117 – Arnold heard Richards tell Ramos to go back and start his I-44, and he heard him tell other agents to load up the dope. He does not recall Richards telling Compean to go back to the station.

117-118 – Back at the station, Richards came by and asked Arnold to join him in seeing how the agents were doing on their paperwork. They ran into Compean coming out of the bathroom. Richards asked Compean, “Are you all right, Joe?” and Compean said, “Yeah, I’m okay, just cut my hand.” Compean said he had fallen and that’s how he cut his hand.

118-119 – Four or five minutes later, they talked with Compean again as he was at the computer preparing his I-44. Richards and Arnold had gone to the evidence room to see the marijuana that had been seized. The agents who had transported the marijuana back (Mendoza, Juarez, Jacquez) and the agents working on the I-44 (Ramos, Compean) were there.

119-120 – As Richards and Arnold came out of the evidence room, they stopped at the computer where Compean was rubbing his hand “like it hurt.” Richards asked Compean if he was okay and if anything happened, and Compean answered he was okay, nothing happened. Arnold doesn’t recall if Richards asked whether Compean had been struck or hit. Those 2 conversations were the only time this subject came up.

Government redirect examination (by Debra Kanof):

121-122 – Arnold previously testified about a “pursuit, chase, whatever you want to call it” but no one said anything about a chase that day. No one said they chased a van to the river. Arnold did not know there was a pursuit at the levee on 2/17/05. When he said it was “common,” Arnold meant that it is common to follow vehicles back to the levee. “It’s happened before. Not while I’ve been there, but it’s happened before.”

122-123 – Arnold did not know agents were going 65-70 mph on parts of Jess Harris. Arnold stated that would be a pursuit because it exceeded the speed limit of 50 mph. No one reported that to Arnold.

123 – To use high speed, the agent has to report on the repeater channel so there’s a record and everybody is clear what’s going on.

124 – Until this trial, Arnold thought that the agents had followed the van to the ditch and “the guy just bailed and had taken off south.” Arnold did not know there was a pursuit of any kind and he did not violate any rules by failing to fill out a report. If he had known it, he would have filled out a report.

124-125 – Richards is a stickler for paperwork. If anything happens, “you’re doing a memo on whatever – whatever is going on.” Richards does memos, too. Whenever an agent does a memo, a supervisor has to do a cover memo and a second-line supervisor may have to do a memo, too.

125-126 – Richards and Compean talked 3 times in Arnold’s presence. First, at the levee when Compean told him he was okay and had dirt kicked in his face. Arnold did not get the impression that Richards was discouraging Compean from reporting something.

126-127 – Second, when Compean was coming out of the bathroom. Arnold thought Richards was worried about the injury to Compean’s hand. Richards was concerned and not discouraging.

127 – Third, in the processing room, Compean said he was okay. Richards seemed worried about Compean’s injury.

127 – Arnold has never known Richards to discourage agents from filing reports. He’s a stickler for paperwork. “He wants everything detailed and, you know, filed.”

Ramos recross-examination (by Mary Stillinger):

127 – The vehicle pursuit policy requires a form be filed for any kind of pursuit. Arnold agrees the policy is subjective or subject to interpretation. The BP wants the supervisor’s interpretation to be followed, not the agents’ interpretation.

128-129 – Arnold agreed that the term pursuit also includes any attempt by a Border Patrol agent in an authorized emergency vehicle or pursuit vehicle to stop a vehicle regardless of whether or not the pursuit vehicle is violating traffic laws governing direction of travel, speed of travel, traffic signs, signals, and/or other illegal actions.

129 – In defining the subjective part of the policy, Arnold stated that each individual agent has to weigh the dangerous factors in — in stopping these vehicles.

130 – An agent must report a pursuit to sector communications, not to his supervisor.

131 – In defining subjective, Arnold considered whether the agent was chasing this vehicle, or whether he backed off and was he following it.

“Q. Okay. Well, would you agree that if the vehicle — let’s say the speed limit is 50 miles an hour, and the suspect vehicle is going 50 miles an hour. So the pursuing vehicle is going, say, three or four car lengths behind at 50 miles an hour. Without his — he’s turned off the emergency lights, because the guy didn’t stop when the lights were on. He’s turned off the emergency lights. Would you agree that’s still a pursuit, though?
A. In those circumstances, yes.
Q. Okay. Okay. And somebody went to a lot of trouble to write this 14-page policy, right?
A. Yes.
Q. Okay. And it is part of the policies that you’re supposed to make sure your agents know about, right?
A. Semiannually.”

131-133 – Arnold does not think there was a pursuit on February 17 under the terms of the pursuit policy. Arnold knew the agents had turned their emergency lights on and the van did not stop and failed to yield. He knew the agents followed the van. Whether that was a pursuit depends on how the agents were following the van. “It would all depend on circumstances.”

133 – Arnold didn’t hear Richards ask any questions about pursuit at the scene. It wasn’t Arnold’s place to ask questions as the junior man.

133-134 – If you find out about a pursuit immediately afterwards, you still have to file a report. But if you don’t ask any question, you won’t get the information to file the report.

134-135 – The Fabens agents are busy and overwhelmed with the amount of traffic they are monitoring.

135 – [Bench conference:]

THE COURT: Okay, guys. I am trying to let everybody try this case. This pursuit case is sort of ad nauseam. I mean, they’re not on trial for a pursuit. But I’m telling you, you need to look at your jury, because I think you’re going to totally lose them. And —
MR. GONZALEZ: That’s why we haven’t objected, Judge.
THE COURT: I’m just warning you. I’m — again, I don’t want to — you can go on this forever.
MS. STILLINGER: I only have two more questions for him.
THE COURT: You know, I was counting how many times you said the word pursuit. We’re in the hundreds, okay?
MS. KANOF: Do we get a prize?
THE COURT: I’m trying to stay awake.

135 – Supervisors and agents have to use common sense in the field and in executing policy. Arnold didn’t think anything wrong happened on February 17. His agents were out there doing their best that day.

136 – [Witness excused.]

10 Responses to “DRJ Pores Through the Border Patrol Trial Transcripts – Robert H. Arnold, Jr. (Volume XI)”

  1. Maybe I’m oversimplifying things, but this seems to me to go to the heart of the issue. It seems that, in Fabens, there was a whole lot of ’not reporting’ going on and nobody was ever reprimanded for any of it – whether the reports should have been oral or written. It seems, that if the written pursuit report policy had been followed, surely Arnold would have seen at least one in the 6 1/2 months he’d been there:

    102 – Arnold has not seen any vehicle pursuit reports filled out in Fabens, although the technical reading of the policy would require a report. Arnold agreed that “that technical literal reading of the policy is not followed in Fabens” and agents are not reprimanded for not filling out those forms. They aren’t trying to hide anything.

    BSue (2e54b0)

  2. Arnold’s testimony seems fairly unremarkable, mainly confirming elements of the earlier testimony. In particular, Arnold reinforces my impression that Richards exercised due diligence in following-up the incident, but he couldn’t know there had been a shooting without somebody telling him.

    It seems clear that the defendants had ample opportunity to mention to their supervisors that they thought the suspect had a gun, and that they fired on him.

    LagunaDave (afe857)

  3. Other than establishing that it was no big deal to use direct radio rather than the repeater, I’m at a loss to understand the benefit of what the defense was doing here.

    Compean’s own attorney brings out a third chance Compean had to tell Richards of an assault that didn’t even come up during the prosecution’s direct. Dang. That had to hurt.

    Tracy (4b4242)

  4. Well if AG Gonzalas needed to send a message to V Fox that our borders are indeed wide open for all 24/7 365 at any location, I think it got sent.

    TC (b48fdd)

  5. Tougher Tactics Deter Migrants at U.S. Border: “In the last four months, the number has dropped 27 percent compared with the same period last year, the biggest drop since a crackdown immediately after 9/11. In two sections around Yuma and near Del Rio, Tex., the numbers have fallen by nearly two-thirds, Homeland Security officials say.”

    Tracy (4b4242)

  6. Hmmm… The link didn’t show up in that comment. Not sure what I’m doing wrong. Trying again the simple way:

    http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_5270645

    Tracy (4b4242)

  7. I think it’s brilliant how they’ve spun this as catching fewer illegals equals success.

    If they arrested more illegals, we’d be saying “Hey, looks like they are finally getting serious with countering the illegal alien invasion” and when they catch fewer it’s “Bush is really getting tough now!” Bush can’t lose!

    If the invasion has slowed down, it means that Mexico has already succeeded at sending all of its unwanted poor folks as well as its criminals. I doubt they’ve completed their purge. More like the border patrol is standing down and stopping fewer illegals so as not to get on the wrong side of Bush and Sutton.

    J Curtis (d21251)

  8. Tracy,

    I think the amount of illegal aliens coming across the border is down because there are 9-10 times as many boots on the ground as in the past (H/T National Guard). I saw an article last week that they recently added another 1,000 National Guard troops in El Paso/Deming. The bottom line is and always has been that enforcement works. Too bad we didn’t try it sooner.

    DRJ (8b9d41)

  9. Tracy, saying that there are less illegals coming across the border because there are fewer being caught is like saying there are few murders in New Orleans because fewer murderers are being caught. Even the article says there is no way to determine the flow of illegals.

    Well this might answer the question as to fewer illegals caught: the Border Patrol websites are warning agents to be careful what they do or they too, will wind up in a Club Fed in Mississippi.

    retire05 (903139)

  10. […] (H/T to Michelle Malkin for the pic.)3/2/3007Border Patrol Trial Transcripts – Robert H. Arnold, Jr. (Volume XI) More in this ongoing series. h/t DRJ – Patterico […]

    Headline Summaries: Border Security at Traction Control (9f9139)


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