On May 4th, 2005, we met in Laredo, Texas. As a result we formed the Texas Border Sheriff?s Coalition. The first and foremost priority of our coalition is protecting all residents of this country against a terrorist act without regard to race, sex, or ethnicity. We continue to believe that many persons have entered our country with intentions of harming us. We are sincere when we tell you that we are not blaming the agents of the United States Border Patrol but, rather, we criticize the policies that they have been shackled with.
I want to make you aware that the Law Enforcement experience of the member sheriffs of this coalition total almost 460 years including 101 years of experience as sheriffs. The oldest serving sheriff of this coalition is El Paso County Sheriff Samaniego with 22 years. I have attached the list of member sheriffs of the coalition with their years of experience and have marked it as Attachment #1. I have served more than 29 of the 42 years of my Law Enforcement career on the Texas/Mexico border. We have seen the border become more violent and criminally active than at any point in our careers. Our officers rarely encounter the socio-economic illegal alien of the past, but routinely encounter criminal illegal aliens.
I have been asked to briefly relate to you some of the problems that we have encountered along the border, specifically the violence along the border and incursions, among other matters. Most of the sheriffs that have encountered these problems are present to answer any questions you may have as they relate to their counties.
The areas of Val Verde and Maverick Counties, specifically, continue to see many persons from countries other that Mexico entering the country and being let loose in our counties. I and Sheriff Tomas Herrera have been very concerned with these persons since it is not known how many potential special interest aliens were being released into our great country with what we term as a ?notice to disappear?. We did not know what diseases, if any, these persons may have had. These persons, when released, would trek into town through day care centers and schools. After we complained of this practice, Border Patrol, changed their policy and began to transport them to bus stations. The most damaging part of the ?catch and release policy? was the debilitating effect on agent moral. These illegal immigrants who were apprehended and then released would photograph themselves and send the pictures back to their respective countries to show that they had made it to America. I have attached one such photograph and marked it as Attachment #2. The photograph shows them holding their ?permission? papers.
All of us are concerned that the border with Mexico is being used as the open door to this country. Most of the illegal immigrants from countries of special interest that are apprehended are apprehended along the southwest border. I have attached these lists and have marked them as Attachment #3.
Through intelligence information we have also learned that several murders in Laredo, Webb County, Texas, have been orchestrated by members of drug cartels operating in both countries. These drug cartel enforcers cross the Rio Grande River, commit their murders in the United States, then head back to Mexico, again, via the Rio Grande River. We have all seen in the media the reports of the murders in Nuevo Laredo, 24 so far in the first 36 days of 2006. These murders are connected to organizations in both Mexico and the United States. In February, a Task Force in Laredo Texas confiscated Improvised Explosive Devices as well as items used to make explosive devices. Border Patrol agents and deputy sheriffs have been shot at from Mexico on a routine basis. Just last month a sniper in Mexico shot at agents that were working along the banks of the river in the area of the cities of Rio Bravo/El Cenizo. This continued, sporadically, for three days. Agents reported seeing several individuals wearing military style uniforms on a hill on the Mexican side, one of them was using what was believed to be a high powered rifle with scope.
The Rio Grande Valley, Cameron, Hidalgo, and Starr Counties, have continuous problems with pseudo-cops coming from Mexico to extort and kidnap citizens in these counties. This area is the fastest growing area in the nation. They have seen their share of terrorist activity as it relates to the migration of many members of ruthless gangs that come into this country for reasons other than legitimate employment. Sometime last year, a woman was taken off an airplane at the McAllen, Texas, airport. She had come in from Mexico, through the river, as her clothes were still wet, and had a passport from Africa. She was from a special interest country and had come in to Mexico using a passport from a friendly country to avoid detection. Who knows what her intentions were. Thanks to an officer at the airport she was taken off the plane.
During this same time period, a high-ranking member of the Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, was apprehended in the Brooks County area, also in south Texas. He had entered the country illegally. This MS-13 member is believed to have been responsible for the killing of close to 30 persons, or more, in a bus explosion in his native country. It is my understanding that he had a lengthy criminal record in the United States. This person, as many others, find it very easy to come into our country through a very porous, wide-open, and unprotected border. Twenty seven members of the MS-13 were apprehended entering the United States in the Del Rio area of operations during the month of January, 2006.
We have received information that the drug trafficking organizations immediately across our border are planning on killing as many police officers as possible on the United States side. This is being planned for the purpose of attempting to ?scare us? away from the border. The recent activities of the drug trafficking organization operating in the Hudspeth, El Paso County areas have included threats against the families of Deputy Sheriff?s. In one incident subjects made threats to the wife of a Hudspeth County Sheriff?s Sergeant at their home. The drug trafficking organizations have the money, equipment, and stamina to carry out their threats. They are determined to protect their illicit trade. It is my opinion that these drug trafficking organizations may form an alliance with Islamo Fascist terrorist organizations. The Department of Homeland Security recently issued Officer Alerts warning their agents of such potential threats. We, the local officers, learned about the warning through the news media.
The cartels operating in Mexico and the United States have demonstrated that the weapons they posses can and will be used in protecting their caches. I have attached photographs showing some of the weapons that these cartels possess. The photos have been marked as Attachment #4. In Val Verde County a fragmentation hand grenade was discovered on one of the trails near the Rio Grande where drugs are frequently smuggled into the United States.
