Border War Brewing
U. S. Cops Issued Automatic Weapons

KTWX-TV -- Waco -- October 17   Texas Authorities Say They'll Confront Border Violence    South Texas authorities said Friday they won't be intimidated by increasingly violent drug smugglers as they announced a larger Border Patrol presence along the Mexican border and said more heavily armed deputies will be authorized to return fire across the border.     Operation "River Freedom Denial" will focus more ground and air recourses on areas along the Rio Grande in the southern tip of Texas where violence has been increasing.     Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino said the deputies he'll assign to the operation along the river will all be issued fully automatic rifles and authorized to return fire.     He recalled an incident in 2006 in which more than 300 shots were fired across the river at his deputies and Border Patrol agents.     At that time, he decided to pull his deputies back from the river for their safety, but not this time.     Tension along the border has increased this week with a shootout Thursday in downtown Matamoros, Mexico, across the river from Brownsville.     Also, shots were fired at or near the U.S. Consulate in Monterrey, Mexico twice this week.