Anyone see this?
Drug smugglers fire at agents near border
By Brady McCombs
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 04.15.2008
Drug smugglers opened fire on U.S. Border Patrol agents late Friday evening east of Sasabe in what highlighted a busy weekend along Arizona's stretch of U.S.-Mexican border.
Close to the international line east of Sasabe about 11 p.m. Friday, an agent noticed a group of eight crossing the border with backpacks, said Mike Scioli, Border Patrol Tucson Sector spokesman. As other agents arrived to make an apprehension, the backpackers opened fire, he said.
Agents ducked and took cover. The backpackers continued firing as they retreated back into Mexico, Scioli said. Agents didn't return fire because they didn't know where the bullets were coming from, he said.
None of the agents was hurt.
Helicopters flew in and the Border Patrol's special response team came out, but none of the suspected shooters was located. They did leave behind 253 pounds of marijuana in the backpacks they were carrying, he said.
On Saturday evening an agent patrolling near the fence in downtown Nogales fired four rounds from a pepper-ball launcher after people in Mexico began throwing rocks at him, Scioli said.
About 5 p.m., a scout perched atop the steel landing-mat fence in Nogales began telling others to throw rocks at the agent, who was outside of his vehicle, he said. The agent countered by using his pepper-ball launcher to saturate the area. The agency also called Mexican law enforcement for assistance.
The agent wasn't injured.
Agents also found two large groups of illegal entrants in separate incidents over the weekend.
On Friday about 9 p.m. in the general area where the shots were fired east of Sasabe, an agent scanning the desert floor with a mobile surveillance unit spotted groups of 12, eight and 75 coming north along the same trail just minutes apart.
A helicopter flew in and several agents drove to the area. They apprehended 53 people. The rest of them went back to Mexico, Scioli said. The 53 illegal entrants were taken to the processing center in Nogales.
On Friday morning in Nogales, agents found 32 illegal entrants inside a house on Second Street, Scioli said. Agents noticed the group going into the house and notified Nogales police officers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
When they knocked on the door, they found the people inside. The smuggler had already taken off, Scioli said. The illegal entrants were processed and granted voluntary return to Mexico.
Agents also arrested five illegal immigrants who were convicted sex offenders over the weekend in separate incidents near Douglas, Nogales and Ajo.
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/border/234371Life doesn't begin until it's over 105 degrees.
