I live and hunt on the Arizona border regularly, and although there are signs, they are advisories of high drug trafficking in this area. Here in Arizona, the vast public lands throughout the state, including border regions, can't be infringed upon or restricted by any L.E. entity, federal or other wise, and I've never had L.E. make us feel unwelcomed or had out rights disrespected. they are doing a job and always seem to do it with integrity in my experience. Some areas that I hunt are just a few yards from the border, and we regularly encounter both smugglers and B.P. agents. It's getting really bad though, and one must remain alert and ready to defend your life and property. Car jackings by ambush are becoming uncomfortably common place the last few years. We also have simular warning signs along the interstate, primarily I-8 warning travelers of car jackings and other violent activity.
But despite the high risk, and personal encounter's my Son's and I have endured, we still camp right on the border during deer and javelina hunting season, but we sleep with our self defense weapons within very close reach, like in the sleeping bag. I refuse to let thugs and illegal's infring on my recreational activities, or intimidate me while enjoying my most loved outdoor sports. This is my/our United States, and no common criminal is going to take that away from me/us without some serious resistence, up to, and including, using deadly force if necessary.
One of my Son's is employed with B.P. and can get land and air agents in two shake's, regradless of cell phone service. And it just so happens that some of the best trophy mule deer and couse deer units are right smack dab in the middle of the smuggler's common route's. So we approach it as, they, meaning the smuggler's, have to deal with us and navigate around us, not the other way around. I can't count the number of times we have brought a sh-t storm of agents down on top of them in a matter of minutes, it feels good too!