Comments from a Retired Border Patrol Agent

Comments from a Retired Border Patrol Agent

8/5/02

I am a retired U.S.Border Patrol Special Agent and former Senior Intelligence Analyst, volunteer contract duties after official retirement with over 32 years service to this nation . I fear for the United States and citizens in times ahead.... I have seen years when we tried to control the border with a few agents, a time of pride in America , after Viet Nam, and a U.S. Border Patrol that was for the most part Veterans...1972 Academy class 101, Brownsville Texas was a company I am forever proud to know. Many of the graduating class were combat veterans, WIA purple heart commendations, to valor, ex- Fighter Pilots from Navy Air Craft Carriers to those that were 'grunts' in a jungle , facing an enemy undefined. " Friendlies" by day, enemy NVA 'sappers' by night, "crawling through defensive perimeters to 'create as much damage as possible' with no regard for their own lives,other than a 'mission' was a fact of life for U.S. Troops. ' Friend or Foe' in that Viet Nam Era is America today with 9 million estimated illegal aliens in "country" and Congressmen wanting ' green cards' for these people 'staggers' the imagination, the intelligence of American citizens.

Early Politics dating 30 plus years has made National Security on these Borders of the United States an impossibility. Democrats want Hispanic votes, legal or illegal, Republicans want cheap labor, a 'no win situation'. Terrorist cells or operatives can enter without inspection anywhere, Canada to Mexico, and are here or with alien smuggling ops be brought in as easily as a 'Sunday drive' in the park.

Recon, friendlies, intelligence, communication, determination, fraudulent documentation, and no rules to accomplish a mission are a matter of daily business

This country is 'crying foul' , civil rights violations, citizens and TIPS, political correct. Narcotics and alien smuggling cadres have TIPS and intelligence exchange to an exact science. They know our judicial system and limits of legal authority and act , without permission to Act!. Citizens that believe Home Defense is a violation of civil rights have never been in a combat situation, foreign country under siege and hopefully will never!

Something people fail to remember is the fact that Military or Federal Law Enforcement, you follow the regs or directives, 'rules of combat engagement' or SOP

Terrorists, Narc Cartels to Criminals make their own 'rules' and adjust to the situation, RECON daily, and course of action to follow, with 'sources' paid and unpaid that rely information , cada dia,siempre., paciencia ! Time is on the smugglers side.

There was a time when the Border Patrol were Agents of this Nation, on the line and interior wherever needed .Politically incorrect!

There was a time when Border Patrol and I&NS enforced Company Hiring of 'illegal aliens' and levied fines against companies. Politically incorrect!

There was a time when Agents were not confined to a small area on the Border, but a vast territory, and established contacts with concerned citizens , other sources that provided intelligence on suspicious activities, narcotics loads, alien smuggling to groups of UDAS passing through an area. Politically incorrect!

There was a time when I&NS BP authority encompassed the United States, Alaska, Puerto Rico ,Guam , the Virgin Islands and all contig. territories of the U.S. Politically incorrect, although many investigations starting at the Border were International in importance.

Memory Lane is the Iran hostage crisis, 1979, national impact, REACT 1982, Miami, Florida when Fidel Castro emptied Cuba's prisons and Mental Hospitals upon America, by boats. Homicidal maniacs to the insane were then I&NS responsibility. Politically correct!.

Haitians situations, riots, Cutler Ridge, to narcotics interceptions, domestic and foreign and the Elian Gonzalez case were political decisions. I could list many more missions but the fact remains, the U.S. Border Patrol can only follow 'orders' from the 'top', in 'pecking order'. Congress, to I& NS Commissioner , Chief to the ranks.,

The U.S.B.P. now 'sits' on small areas of the Border, 'fox holes', Xs, needing permission to leave an assigned area. Flanking movements by EWI groups, left and right is of no importance, and interior pursuit, no importance but Politically Correct.' Gotaways, or 'turnbacks" is 'Holding the Line', no arrests, Border Secure. The smuggling factions, narcotics, alien loads to Terrorists know 'the routine', pursuits on highways, to checkpoints'. The U.S.media loves to tell all world wide, 'security secrets, 'how to approach a nuclear reactor plant to LZs of Anaconda, when the Taliban had 'high ground advantage' against our troops'. Bad News, but news

The U.S. Border Patrol is comprised of some of the finest men and women in this nation with one of the 'toughest' Federal Academies' to pass in order to be an Agent. Not only complicated Immigration Laws is required but also proficiency in 'second language skills 'and a multitude of related subjects which takes a 'full' year with comprehensive tests monthly after graduation to achieve, but also performance standards monthly by training officers.

After Nam era military service, I attended a large municipal Police Academy for several months and became a commissioned police officer with only probationary period to contend with,'a cake walk' compared to 'Brownsville".We lose 'outstanding' well trained Agents every day, because of Politics, the tasks, and no 'hope' in sight of advancement in an area of 'flustrating' Law enforcement few can imagine that have not been there.

Please check out www.bnp.org.uk which is the British National Party, Citizens against Immigration. Their problems is almost an 'echo' of the problems we face in the United States. With three decades of service to this this nation, despite all , good times and bad, friends lost, honor rolls KIA, political SNAFU, to Present Terrorist cells embedded, this is still a country where every citizen should voice an opinion.

Politicians have a way of 'forgetting' why they were elected once in 'office' , and pursue objectives far removed from the will of the people. I have served many Presidents in my career, and many political agendas, good and bad, with either political party and ' followed directives, statutes and orders". The ' will' of the people is a factor , quickly disregarded in D.C. from an individual on immigration issues to current events in a State. Sometimes it seems only a multitude of prospective voters are heard in D.C. on a common issue from Senators to Congressmen , a need to act and do the 'job' they were elected to accomplish. I love this nation, but dealing with Politicians , means a large majority of people presenting their views and expression of concerns, 'getting involved', 'rocking the boat'! We are in an 'undeclared war' with both political parties unconcerned about 'border security".Mexican illegals, good for the country,illegal Islamic Terrorists , bad! .

Sometimes I feel Politicians lose all the traits of common sense. In decades removed, the majority of Mexican Nationals that entered illegally were 'good people' looking for 'better economic conditions, and 'law abiding' other than EWI statutes 8 USC 1325. Narcotics smugglers, mules, Mexican fugitives from justice, mass murderers, public health risks, organized crime cadres, ordinary criminals made a "bee line' to the border as American criminals 'try to make it into Mexico, home free. No extradition in Mexico, and Mexican nationals as well as USC Crooks wanted for felonies in the U.S. are again 'home free. '

Keep up the good work, and make a difference ! The only people that can change conditions on Capitol Hill are citizens of this nation , in mass, not by individual efforts on a common issue. I am not Republican or Democrat, just a person among many that would hope to find an "America 'Lost', hopefully to be 'found" somewhere between Politics and basic Common Sense lacking in Congress, and people that can remind elected officials that they are civil servants, nothing more.