Tuesday, May 9, 2006
INVASION
USA
U.S. alerting Mexico
to Minuteman
patrols
'Unbelievable that our own government
…
is sending intelligence to another country'
Posted: May 9, 2006
11:37 a.m. Eastern
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
Minuteman
volunteer |
The U.S. Border Patrol is
tipping off Mexican authorities on the positions of members of the Minuteman
civilian patrols.
U.S. officials have agreed to the notification process to reassure the
Mexican government that the illegal immigrants' rights are being observed,
the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin of Ontario, Calif., reports.
When the Minuteman and other civilian border patrol groups help
apprehend illegal immigrants, the Mexican government must be notified,
according to three documents on the Mexican
Secretary of Foreign Relations website.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman confirmed to the Daily
Bulletin the notification process, describing it as a standard procedure.
"It's not a secret where the Minuteman volunteers are going to be,"
Mario Martinez said.
"This ... simply makes two basic statements – that we will not allow
any lawlessness of any type, and that if an alien is encountered by a
Minuteman or arrested by the Minuteman, then we will allow that government
to interview the person."
But angered Minuteman members say the reporting virtually nullifies
their effectiveness and could endanger lives.
"Now we know why it seemed like Mexican officials knew where we were
all the time," Chris Simcox, founder of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps,
told the Ontario paper.
"It's unbelievable that our own government agency is sending
intelligence to another country," he said. "They are sending intelligence
to a nation where corruption runs rampant, and that could be getting into
the hands of criminal cartels.
"They just basically endangered the lives of American people."
Martinez said any illegal alien
apprehended has the right to request counsel.
"We have to give their counsel the information about their
apprehension, and that includes where they are apprehended, whether a
Minuteman volunteer spotted them or a citizen," he said.
The spokesman said by entering into the cooperative agreement, the
Border Patrol hoped to change Mexico's perception of the group as
vigilantes.
One of the documents on the website, "Actions of the Mexican Government
in Relation to the Activities of Vigilante Groups," describes a meeting
with San Diego Border Patrol sector chief Darryl Griffen.
According to the document, Griffen "said that the Border Patrol will
not permit any violence or any actions contrary to the law by the groups,
and he is continuously aware of (the volunteer organizations')
operations."
The document continues: "Mr. Griffen reiterated to the undersecretary
his promise to notify the General Consul right away when the vigilantes
detain or participate in the detention of any undocumented Mexicans."
The documents name the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps and the Chino,
Calif.-based Friends of the Border Patrol.
TJ Bonner, president of the 10,000-member union National Border Patrol
Council, told the Daily Bulletin his member agents have complained for
years about the Mexican government "unduly influencing our enforcement
policies."
"That's not a legitimate role for any foreign nation," he said.
The Minuteman
weblog said the Daily Bulletin's story "does not report information
told to the [Minuteman] media offices that the Border Patrol chiefs have
also been passing along intelligence reports to the government of Mexico
on the activities of Minutemen not only at the borders, but in locations
such as Utah, Nevada, Illinois, Massachusetts and Tennessee."
The weblog said one report contained estimated chapter membership
numbers of Minutemen in Illinois and a statement on activities. The report
noted the group didn't seem to know any politicians there, indicating the
Illinois Minutemen had not acquired political clout.
The Minuteman blog commented: "That is not a report on the location of
Minutemen at the border, but political intelligence from our government to
a foreign nation about the activities of American citizens petitioning our
own government for redress of grievances."
Border agents interviewed by the paper said they have been asked to
report the location of all civilian patrols to sector headquarters. But
they are not to file the groups' names in reports if they spot illegal
immigrants.
"Last year an internal memo notified all agents not to give credit to
Minuteman volunteers or others who call in sightings of illegal aliens,"
said an agent who spoke to the Daily Bulletin on condition he not be
identified. "We were told to list it as a citizen call and leave it at
that. Many times, we were told not to go
out to Minuteman calls."
Related offers:
It's not just
Mexicans crossing the border
Could Mexico
take over the Southwest?
Michelle
Malkin's 'Invasion' – Autographed copies available!
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