July 21, 201412 yr Cartels suspected as high-caliber gunfire sends Border Patrol scrambling on Rio Grande | Fox News RINCON PENINSULA, Texas -- U.S. Border Patrol agents on the American side of the Rio Grande were forced to take cover Friday night when high-caliber weaponry was fired at them from the Mexican side of the river, sources told FoxNews.com. The weapons were fired at the U.S. side of the riverbank in the area of the Rincon Peninsula across the Rio Grande from Reynosa, Mexico, at about 8:30 p.m., sources said. Bullets ricocheted into an area where Border Patrol agents were positioned, Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, told FoxNews.com. Border Patrol sources confirmed Gohmert's account, and said the shots may have been fired by .50-caliber weapons. "We don't have any armor that can stop a .50-caliber round, so our Border Patrol agents had to take cover when the rounds were richocheting around them," said Gohmert, who has been in the area for the last week to get a first-hand look at the border situation. "When the shooting stopped, about 40 to 50 people came out on the U.S. side and turned themselves in. So clearly the rounds were being fired to suppress every effort to stop anybody intervening with anyone or anything coming across," Gohmert added. "We have no idea what or how many or whom came across with the other illegal immigrants." Sources said they believe the gunfire came from members of Mexican drug cartels, which include former military members trained in shooting that type of weaponry. Border Patrol sources said the rounds were clearly identifiable because .50- caliber weapons make a distinctive noise when fired. Sources said they also believe this is the first time that Border Patrol agents have taken direct fire from the Mexican side of the river in this area. "I don't know why we're out here like sitting ducks," one Border Patrol source said. "We need help."
July 21, 201412 yr Author Too bad this Bad Boy wasn't there, to lay down some cover fire for the Border Patrol!
July 21, 201412 yr Without getting all political and attempting to bash a person or party, in one word: YES!
July 21, 201412 yr Author Cartel Incursions into the US have already been going on and now firing on out BP Agents to suppress them from doing their job is across the line.
July 21, 201412 yr National guard? I was thinking regular military! Way past the time of considering border violations as a matter of law enforcement.
July 21, 201412 yr Author National guard? I was thinking regular military! Way past the time of considering border violations as a matter of law enforcement. Unfortunately I think it is illegal for the regular Military to take up action on American Soil.
July 21, 201412 yr Unfortunately I think it is illegal for the regular Military to take up action on American Soil. I'm sure they will label it as "security." US wont engage unless engaged.
July 21, 201412 yr Yes . One word. Southern border is a joke. Blame Bush or Obama I don't care. Send the guard.
July 21, 201412 yr Yes . One word. Southern border is a joke. Blame Bush or Obama I don't care. Send the guard. We don't agree much, but on this we do! The thing is, like the article says, we don't know who is making it across. Let's assume some al Qaeda or ISIS pay these people with the fire power to cover them as they cross the border, then what?
July 21, 201412 yr Seems like all those drones coming off of the assembly lines could be put to some use that is meaningful...
July 21, 201412 yr Mexico is a corrupt disaster. Same goes for several Central American countries. Until those places get better, we're fighting an uphill battle that I don't see an end to. We need Mexico's help and I don't know that they have the ability to give it; the willingness even if they did is probably also lacking.
July 21, 201412 yr Mexico is a corrupt disaster. Same goes for several Central American countries. Until those places get better, we're fighting an uphill battle that I don't see an end to. We need Mexico's help and I don't know that they have the ability to give it; the willingness even if they did is probably also lacking. What would Mexico's motivation be to help?
July 21, 201412 yr What would Mexico's motivation be to help? They're not concerned directly about people crossing the border. That's merely a symptom of everything else that's going on. But all of Central America getting their own houses cleaned up would reduce the number of people attempting to run north. That's what actually needs to change. Other Central American migrants are now outpacing Mexican migrants across the border something in the neighborhood of 3 or 4 to 1 these days. Better prospects for a life at home make running north less appealing. That's simply what has to change. It would be better for those countries and better for us. It requires MASSIVE reform to government institutions and economic structure. I don't know if they have the ability to pull it off.
July 21, 201412 yr Author It is widely believed in So America, that if you make it to the US you get to stay. The US needs to squash that thought by deporting as many as possible to make the journey here illegally a fruitless pursuit.
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