ALTAR -- GATHERING SPOT FOR BORDER CROSSERS
Posted January 22, 2003

"I was impressed with the number of buses and vans on the road from Santa Ana to Altar." -- ABP Hawkeye		BUSES BRING HUNDREDS TO ALTAR Altar (01/20/03) -- Four busloads of likely border crossers from Santa Ana, Sonora, arrived in Altar within minutes of each other and disgorged their passengers in front of stores that sell outfits used for nighttime border crossings. The flow in and out of Altar seems to be constant.
		STEALTH APPAREL Altar (01/20/03) -- Buses full of potential border crossers arrive in Altar near specialty stores that sell jackets, backpacks, ski-masks and gloves -- all in black. The desert of Southern Arizona is littered with these items.
"Altar is only four blocks long and I saw one block with a dozen vans with 'Altar to Sasabe' on the side. There was a small building with 'This is for people Michoacan' " - ABP Hawkeye		VANS TO AMERICA Altar (01/20/03) -- All indication are that commercial vans provide the primary source of transportation from Altar to Sasabe. "Someone has to be in charge of this operation," the Hawkeye speculated. "It is too organized not to have a top boss."

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