'Lost' Mexican soldier arrested north of border

[AZTOY]

...2:53 pm Jan 21, 2003
'Lost' Mexican soldier arrested north of border, returned


© 2003 Arizona Daily Star


U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a Mexican soldier late Monday afternoon on the U.S. side of the border west of Nogales, American and Mexican officials said.

Agents arrested the soldier more than a mile north of the border, where he was walking alone, in uniform and carrying a weapon, they said.

The Mexican consul in Nogales, Ariz., Carlos Gonzalez Magallon, said the soldier simply got lost while patrolling on foot on the south side of the border.

"I'm aware that this is a very delicate matter, but there's nothing that should be seen other than simply getting lost in Mariposa Canyon," Gonzalez Magallon said.

The soldier was held overnight and released into Mexico this afternoon.

http://regulus.azstarnet.com/hourlyupdate/pm_story.php?id=7

 

[TallPine]

How much did he say he wanted for that bridge ...?

 

[DeltaElite]

C'mon give the guy a break. One drug trail looks like another, it would be easy to get lost.

 

[rock jock]

Can you say "scout?"

 

[CZ-75]

Will this make him a felon when he gets back???? :banghead:

 

[hammer4nc]

AZtoy,

Its been a while since I lived in Tucson, has the fence been destroyed so much that a person would be unaware he crossed it?

On a related topic, most of our encounters with the federales were comical, as this one sounds. At the border, always pay your bribe to the guy with the pearl-handled gun (jeffe as opposed to flunkee). I've been approached by federales with chrome helmets, while camping on remote beaches in Mexico, who informed us that we were trespassing on a private beach...and the fine always ended up being a couple of cold beers. Oh, and if I'm not mistaken, a few of them patrolled with parade rifles!

Maybe things have changed some?

 

[Travis McGee]

Sounds like a scout, a test or a diversion.

I'm new at this format (used to lurk at TFL) so I will probably mess this all up.

 

[Art Eatman]

Unless it's rugged mountains/canyon country, that fence is pretty obvious. The stretch I saw in southern New Mexico had metal, yellow-painted signs pretty regularly along the fence, with something like "International Border" in English and Spanish.

Lost? Not hardly.

 

[Bottom Gun]

You wouldn't want to get caught crossing into Mexico with a firearm or even some ammo.
The US should have detained this guy for a few months and made his family pay thousands in fines and bribes so the Mexicans could see how the shoe felt on the other foot.

 

[Crimper-D]

I'm cursed with a low suspicious nature

Running an escort for drug runners comes to mind... Did he have an empty pack?

 

[madmike]

A "Scout"? For whom?

Is Mexico going to invade with its state of the art ca. 1935 Army?

Now, a scout for a drug dealer or immigration, I can see.

Let's not assign to conspiracy what can more readily be explained by greed and stupidity.

 

[rock jock]

Now, a scout for a drug dealer or immigration, I can see.

That's what I meant. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[DeltaElite]

I thought they already had about 15 Million scouts here.

 

[Gordon]

Seems like a bunch of Mexican soldiers have lost their way over the border lately. I wonder what would happen if they started not coming back? Watch out talking about your "new" preban HK91's you guys in Az.

 

[SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI]

Exactly, Gordon. I can recommend a good Ragnar Benson book on mantraps for anyone looking to liven up a dull weekend with a border FX.

 

[AZTOY]

hammer4nc

Most of the border is bare wire fence.:banghead:

A HK91 would be very nice. Does anybody have some night vision goggles?

 

[Gordon]

Hey I already reccomended that Ragnar Benson book to 2 blink when he got robbed. No gogles but I have ANPVS/2 on m14NM and ANPVS/4 on Delta H-Bar and Sibir gen-2 on .308 m700pss. For fun on the border.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

A scout? Are y'all crazy? What, do you think the guy was on a recon mission to test the border's defenses? Come on. First, he would not be in uniform and with a gun. They would dress him like any other illegal alien. He could then get a lot more 'scouting' done without the hassle and IF he got caught, shipped home with no problem.

As for what he was scouting, the area isn't exactly secure or secret. There is a tremendous amount of satellite photo information available, USGS maps of the topography, and information available from thousands of illegal immigrants who have made the crossing many times.

Besides, it would take almost ZERO effort to come across legally and 'scout' out the countryside in order to gather all the intel the Mexican army might want. So why intentionally send a guy across in uniform and with a rifle as a scout when there is no reason to do that? Contary to what is being suggested, Mexico is not our enemy and we don't preclude them from coming across legally to visit us and tour our country. We even encourage legal crossings. Hell, we could have half the Mexican army come across as supposed civilians on vacation and they could gather all the intel they wanted while hiking the countryside. Plus, they could carry cameras of all types, GPS equipment, and comm gear to communicate back across the border and all this would be perfectly legal. A scout? You gotta be kidding me!!! :banghead:

So, what, you think this is the scout probing us before the grand invasion?

So maybe the guy is a drug runner's escort. My guess is that being that dumb to be caught on our side of the border means he won't live long enough to get more practice.

 

[Gordon]

By your last sentence I guess you are suggesting that to our south their is a tolitarian society that would kill it's own errant soldiers(shudder)? Why that would mean they are probably more friendly with Casto than us. Or that they harbor ambition about the Hidalgo purchase. Or that they might just want to bleed us dry instead of repairing their corrupt mess!

 

[Big Al]

I'm with bottom gun on this one.

 

[PATH]

Probably nothing sinister. Young fella gets lost. I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts that the Mexican armed forces are not made up of Rhodes scholars. Young fella simply lost his way. I can see it happening without being sinister.

 

[4v50 Gary]

You can't hold a Mexican soldier prisoner here and fine them for carrying a gun across the border. Why? Who would pay? Not the Mexican government and don't expect the soldier's family even to have any money. Better to take his gun away (thanks for the "donation"), buy him a fresco & taco & send him back across the border. Feed 'em & free 'em. Hey, for all the guns I could get, maybe I should just open a taco stand.

1 fresco & taco - 1 rifle w/7 loaded magazines.
1 fresco & 2 tacos - NVG
1 fresco & 3 tacos - 1 M-2 Machine gun
1 fresco & 6 tacos - 1 jeep
2 fresco & 12 tacos - Duece & a half

If you guys think I'm being generous, you haven't tasted my cooking. It'll make those Mexicans screaming about atrocities, cruel & unusual punishment and sprinting for the border.

Actually, I just don't know to make Mexican food. Other stuff I can do.