Immigrants and Drugs in National Parks
[Guest post by DRJ]
Drug smugglers are finding inventive ways to avoid border security. Twice this summer, federal officials have found marijuana plants illegally being cultivated in Colorado’s national forests, including a “recent discovery of more than 14,000 plants in Pike National Forest” valued at $2.5M:
“Forest Service officials said they believe illegal immigrants are being brought to Colorado by Latin American drug cartels for mass cultivation of marijuana.
Michael Skinner, a law enforcement officer with the U.S. Forest Service in Colorado, said warning signs of possible drug trafficking include “tortilla packaging, beer cans, Spam, Tuna, Tecate beer cans,” and campers who play Spanish music. He said the warning includes people speaking Spanish.
***
“Our goal is to not allow organization using foreign nationals or any other persons involved in illegal drug production to take over our national forests,” the department warned.”
Hispanic groups objected to this characterization, claiming federal officials are unfairly targeting Hispanics.
— DRJ
Florida Sheriff depts routinely fly interstate right of ways which have been used to grow weed for over 30 years now.
Farms are typically booby trapped injuring highway workers or motorists stopping for personal comfort and wandering into the wrong location.
Jim (582155) — 8/29/2009 @ 12:20 pmHaha,
Sounds like Mr. Skinner’s going to spend a few years in sensitivity training.
Sunburn (5d93e3) — 8/29/2009 @ 12:25 pmDRJ, I think the link needs repair.
SPQR (26be8b) — 8/29/2009 @ 12:29 pmI read that 80% of snarking trolls haven’t had a date in at least a year.
Eric Blair (a71690) — 8/29/2009 @ 12:41 pmThanks, SPQR. I’ll fix it.
DRJ (3f5471) — 8/29/2009 @ 12:53 pmSundried prune, maybe you are going to spend the next President’s term in Zimbabwe living as an anonymous person and reaping the Black on White prejudice that Mr. Obama and Mr. Mugabe share.
PCD (02f8c1) — 8/29/2009 @ 12:55 pmWe’ve been warning hunter education students of this issue for some time. I’ll be on the lookout this fall during hunting season myself.
The “racial profiling” whine is the usual horse manure.
SPQR (26be8b) — 8/29/2009 @ 1:15 pmWell if I was elected president or someone with my beliefs. It would the most aggressive anti-illegal administration ever seen in US history, because we would constantly tackle. Them we’d make it so they can’t that there’s no more anchor babies,we’d force businesses to do checks on there employees or else they have to pay a find,if employers are caught holding illegal immigrants with knowledge they go to jail, and I would get rid of all programs,benefits, and education for illegals. This is a Federal issue, because if we give amnesty to illegals 20 years all the jobs will be by illegals. And of coarse I’m saying we secure the borders with bigger stronger fences,electric if possible, cameras,a wall like the great wall of China, and dogs big vicious attack dogs. Also although I would never do drugs I find that we should legalize it on the Federal level, because we save some money from getting rid of the DEA and let the states handle it. The same rules apply to abortion,gay marriage,the EPA, and other areas of the law.
charles (eb6028) — 8/29/2009 @ 1:24 pmIt’s going on right here in CA, between Ventura and Santa Barbara. Plenty of Mexican Nationals who are ALSO illegal aliens, AK-47s, record amount of drugs, danger to the public, using public forests, etc. Check it out here.
Times Disliker (336d0f) — 8/29/2009 @ 3:28 pmI’m OK with cracking down on illegal aliens of whatever ethnicity; given the stakes, I’m OK with airport security people taking ethnicity (and age and sex) into account when figuring whom to scrutinize more closely; and I don’t believe the New Jersey state police discriminate against black drivers on the Turnpike.
But having cops hassle people for “camping while Hispanic” (or while Black, etc.) seems outrageous to me, and another reason Cannabis should be decriminalized (as the voters overwhelmingly did recently in Massachusetts).
DWPittelli (2de73b) — 8/29/2009 @ 3:37 pmLet’s eliminate the illegals before they destroy are economy.
charles (eb6028) — 8/29/2009 @ 4:02 pmThere was huge bust last month in the Sierra Nevada above Fresno where Mexican drug cartels were using illegals to plant farms in the national forests. Everyone busted was an illegal. They were diverting stream and lake water for the operations. The open borders advocates at The Sierra Club had no comment.
Just this week another big bust in Sequoia Park.
http://www.examiner.com/x-21343-San-Jose-Top-News-Examiner~y2009m8d27-Marijuana-raid-at-Seqouia-National-Park
harkin (f92f52) — 8/29/2009 @ 5:00 pmThey’re spamming? Shoot them all on sight!
Oh, they just eat the canned meat? Well, never mind then.
Occasional Reader (a0ce1a) — 8/29/2009 @ 5:43 pmMaybe these hispanic groups should urge the growers to leave lefse packages and Ringnes beer bottles around, and listen to polka — that way Norwegians would be unfairly targeted.
starboardhelm (94c0da) — 8/29/2009 @ 5:44 pmNot the sort of jobs recruiter you want to meet in the woods being paid in PCP: “Daddy ate my eyes.” 8/26/09
FeFe (66892a) — 8/30/2009 @ 9:59 amhttp://www.komonews.com/news/local/55165387.html
Here in California, they’re talking about closing state parks because there isn’t the money to staff and maintain them.
Of course, the land won’t be sold. They’ll just shut down the visitors’ centers and the bathrooms and close the gates.
Which means:
(a) lots of people break in to go hiking (and can sue the state if they get injured because the trails have gone out);
(b) some of the parklands get used as marijuana plantations.
This isn’t a wise idea.
aphrael (e0cdc9) — 8/31/2009 @ 11:10 ama law enforcement officer with the U.S. Forest Service in Colorado, said warning signs of possible drug trafficking include … campers who play Spanish music. He said the warning includes people speaking Spanish.
Wow.
That might be reasonable in Colorado; I don’t know enough about the demographics of the state to say.
But in California, that would be ridiculous: Spanish-speaking families are such a large fraction of the population that they can’t possibly all be suspicious.
aphrael (e0cdc9) — 8/31/2009 @ 11:12 am