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Vigilantes stir fear at border
Crossers worry that groups will open fire
By Luke Turf
Tucson Citizen
Dec. 9, 2002
AGUA PRIETA, SONORA - Mexicans hoping to cross the border in search of a livelihood are becoming increasingly alarmed. Word is getting out in this border town about armed vigilante patrols trying to keep them out.
Saying they fear the new militia groups more than the Border Patrol, they worry that violence may result.
"They have bullets, they're not playing; they're going to kill," said Juan Porras, a native of Chihuahua who last week had waited four days to cross the border.
Selling bags of pecans to make enough money to eat, Porras said he planned to keep trying to cross the border because he had a construction job waiting for him in Phoenix and there's no work at home.
"We're just trying to cross, nothing more," Porras said.
Rafael Duran and Gloria Rios, a couple from Durango waiting to cross the border, said they don't understand why some people want to keep them out of the United States.
"Americans benefit from our work, and Mexicans benefit from what we make.
It's not much but it helps," Duran said.
Rios said she's afraid of the civilian patrols because she read in Mexican newspapers that they'll behave as they please.
In particular, she mentioned the Civil Homeland Defense, a new group founded by Chris Simcox, publisher of the Tombstone Tumbleweed.
Simcox couldn't be happier that word is spreading among Mexicans hoping to cross the border.
"It's working already because that means they're not going to come across," he said. "That will give our government time to mobilize the troops."
At the Iglesia Presbeteriana, a church popular with illegal immigrants who come there to pray and get information, food and water, Pastor Rodolfo Navarrete said crossers are worried about "vigilantes."
Navarrete said immigrant smugglers, known as coyotes, have been telling crossers for more than two years not to worry about the civilian patrols. But now that the Mexican media have publicized the groups, crossers seem more worried.
"The people are a little scared," Navarrete said. "It will be a bit harder for them to cross."
Simcox's patrol is the third citizen group taking up arms to guard southern Arizona's border with Mexico.
Texas-based Ranch Rescue also has patrols on the lookout for illegal immigrants, and the American Border Patrol, based in Sierra Vista, has set up electronic surveillance equipment to monitor them.
So far, there have been no known shootings by members of the armed patrols, although Ranch Rescue last month said it chased a group of marijuana smugglers back into Mexico.
An Agua Prieta cab driver who identified himself only as Isa said immigrants, who come to his town from all over Mexico, are asking him about vigilantes.
"They know about it but they just want to go work," Isa said.
He anticipates the situation getting worse.
"It's going to get more dangerous. A lot of people are going to get killed," he said.
Duran, who said he and Rios were robbed by a coyote, said that between crooked smugglers and armed militias, crossing the border has become too dangerous.
The couple plan to give up the idea of crossing and return to Durango.
"They're looking at us like Mexican animals," Duran said.http://www.arizonarepublic.com/special03/articles/1209vigilante09.html
Crossers worry that groups will open fire
By Luke Turf
Tucson Citizen
Dec. 9, 2002
AGUA PRIETA, SONORA - Mexicans hoping to cross the border in search of a livelihood are becoming increasingly alarmed. Word is getting out in this border town about armed vigilante patrols trying to keep them out.
Saying they fear the new militia groups more than the Border Patrol, they worry that violence may result.
"They have bullets, they're not playing; they're going to kill," said Juan Porras, a native of Chihuahua who last week had waited four days to cross the border.
Selling bags of pecans to make enough money to eat, Porras said he planned to keep trying to cross the border because he had a construction job waiting for him in Phoenix and there's no work at home.
"We're just trying to cross, nothing more," Porras said.
Rafael Duran and Gloria Rios, a couple from Durango waiting to cross the border, said they don't understand why some people want to keep them out of the United States.
"Americans benefit from our work, and Mexicans benefit from what we make.
It's not much but it helps," Duran said.
Rios said she's afraid of the civilian patrols because she read in Mexican newspapers that they'll behave as they please.
In particular, she mentioned the Civil Homeland Defense, a new group founded by Chris Simcox, publisher of the Tombstone Tumbleweed.
Simcox couldn't be happier that word is spreading among Mexicans hoping to cross the border.
"It's working already because that means they're not going to come across," he said. "That will give our government time to mobilize the troops."
At the Iglesia Presbeteriana, a church popular with illegal immigrants who come there to pray and get information, food and water, Pastor Rodolfo Navarrete said crossers are worried about "vigilantes."
Navarrete said immigrant smugglers, known as coyotes, have been telling crossers for more than two years not to worry about the civilian patrols. But now that the Mexican media have publicized the groups, crossers seem more worried.
"The people are a little scared," Navarrete said. "It will be a bit harder for them to cross."
Simcox's patrol is the third citizen group taking up arms to guard southern Arizona's border with Mexico.
Texas-based Ranch Rescue also has patrols on the lookout for illegal immigrants, and the American Border Patrol, based in Sierra Vista, has set up electronic surveillance equipment to monitor them.
So far, there have been no known shootings by members of the armed patrols, although Ranch Rescue last month said it chased a group of marijuana smugglers back into Mexico.
An Agua Prieta cab driver who identified himself only as Isa said immigrants, who come to his town from all over Mexico, are asking him about vigilantes.
"They know about it but they just want to go work," Isa said.
He anticipates the situation getting worse.
"It's going to get more dangerous. A lot of people are going to get killed," he said.
Duran, who said he and Rios were robbed by a coyote, said that between crooked smugglers and armed militias, crossing the border has become too dangerous.
The couple plan to give up the idea of crossing and return to Durango.
"They're looking at us like Mexican animals," Duran said.http://www.arizonarepublic.com/special03/articles/1209vigilante09.html
