Gunmen Attack National Guard Border Patrol Site in Arizona

[palerider88]

TUCSON, Ariz. — National Guard troops working at an observatory post near the Mexican border were forced to flee after being approached by a group of armed individuals, authorities said.

The event occurred about 11 p.m. Wednesday at one of the National Guard entrance identification team posts near Sasabe, said National Guard Sgt. Edward Balaban.

He said the troops withdrew safely, no shots were fired and no one suffered injuries.

U.S. Border Patrol officials are investigating the incident and trying to determine who the armed people were, what they were doing and why they approached the post before retreating to Mexico.

The incident occurred in the west desert corridor between Nogales and Lukeville in the vicinity of Sasabe, Balaban said.

"We don't know exactly how many because obviously it took place in the dark," Balaban said. "Nobody was able to get an accurate count."

The Guard troops are not allowed to apprehend illegal entrants.

"We don't know if this was a matter of somebody coming up accidentally on the individuals, coming up intentionally on the individuals, or some sort of a diversion," said Rob Daniels, spokesman for the Border Patrol's Tucson Sector.

The west desert corridor has been the busiest in the Tucson Sector for marijuana seizures since last year.

Agents have seized 124,000 pounds of marijuana there since Oct. 1, Daniels said.

With more Border Patrol agents and National Guard troops patrolling the Arizona section of the U.S.-Mexican border, it has become more difficult to smuggle drugs and people across and "that heightened frustration may have been connected to what took place last night," Daniels said.

Officials will make a decision following the investigation about whether changes need to be made in regard to the entrance identification teams, Balaban said.

Since arriving in mid-June, the Guard has assisted the Border Patrol by manning control rooms, doing vehicle and helicopter maintenance, repairing roads and fences, constructing vehicle barriers and fences and spotting and reporting illegal entrants in entrance identification teams.

There are dozens of National Guard entrance identification teams along the Mexican border, including east and west of both Nogales and Sasabe and on the Tohono O'odham Nation.

The troops stand post on hilltops next to army-green tents and serve as extra eyes and ears for the Border Patrol.

[Cat_Doc]

TUCSON, Ariz. — National Guard troops working at an observatory post near the Mexican border were forced to flee after being approached by a group of armed individuals, authorities said.

"Tactical retreat in compliance with policy" would have been the proper prose.

A very large percentage of the Guard on the border are civilian police officers and they do not "flee." :rolleyes:

[palerider88]

Dear Doc:

I don't write the news, I just report it! :D

[Cat_Doc]

Dear Doc:

I don't write the news, I just report it! :D

Hugzzz, Pale, my post was not directed at you! ;)

[Norm357]

Since the powers that be have decided that the NG will not be armed, Im not surprised at all.:rolleyes:

[Valor55]

Since when are the National Guard not armed and allowed to defend themselves. This is the type of BS that lost the Republicans the Congress. People are fed up with this crap.

[Norm357]

Since when are the National Guard not armed and allowed to defend themselves. This is the type of BS that lost the Republicans the Congress. People are fed up with this crap.

Kent State.

[Scruit]

Time to arm them again, it seems. Anyone who attacks a member of our armed forces had better have made peace with his maker beforehand. :mad:

[palerider88]

Hugzzz, Pale, my post was not directed at you! ;)

Yeah, just kidding ya buddy! :cool:

[North Patrol]

Ever since the incident when a marine shot and killed a Mexican shepard that was shooting at them politicians have been real concerned about us having armed military on the border.

I don't know about you, but what do you expect to happen when you shoot at a marine? The US took a lot of flack on that one. Sound familiar "Why did they have to kill my baby? He wasn't doing anything wrong by shooting at those marines.".........

[Super Six 5]

Step 1: Set up DMZ along Mexican Border.

Step 2: Landmines, landmines, landmines!

Step 3: Problem solved.

[ahenry]

Since the powers that be have decided that the NG will not be armed, Im not surprised at all.

The National Guard is, and was, armed. The National Guard are allowed to defend themselves when threatened. When they’re not threatened they are to back off and call BP. The National Guard followed their ROE perfectly. I’m not suggesting those are acceptable ROE, but it is what's in place.

[Norm357]

The National Guard is, and was, armed. The National Guard are allowed to defend themselves when threatened. When they’re not threatened they are to back off and call BP. The National Guard followed their ROE perfectly. I’m not suggesting those are acceptable ROE, but it is what's in place.

Im sorry, but you're wrong. Unless something has changed in the last 12 months, the NG Troops on the border are NOT armed. They may be carrying rifles, but they dont have any ammo for them.

[Taz_bb2]

The National Guard is, and was, armed. The National Guard are allowed to defend themselves when threatened. When they’re not threatened they are to back off and call BP. The National Guard followed their ROE perfectly. I’m not suggesting those are acceptable ROE, but it is what's in place.

I'd call being approached by a bunch of armed individuals in the middle of the night from a different country threatened!!!

Unfortunately, our panzy leaders without backbones won't get serious about border security. If they were, then we'd be reading about the National Guard repelling an attack by armed invaders. Instead, it's sugar coated and they are just armed wanderers in their own country.:mad:

[ahenry]

Im sorry, but you're wrong. Unless something has changed in the last 12 months, the NG Troops on the border are NOT armed. They may be carrying rifles, but they dont have any ammo for them.

I don’t want to start an argument with you, but they have rifles and they have ammo. I’ve seen it. Con mis dos ojos