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Subscribe to RSSThe Texas Highway Patrol, which works alongside the U.S. Border Patrol to stop illegal drug smuggling from Mexico, is getting new means to chase down the black hats: six 34-foot gunboats, outfitted with automatic weapons and bulletproof shielding, according to a report by KHOU television in Houston.
The vessels, which are similar to U.S. Navy gunboats used in rivers during the Vietnam War and are capable of operating in as little as 2 feet of water, are scheduled to launch in March.
Officials quoted in the story said that drug cartels increasingly were using the river to smuggle drugs into the United States, or fleeing safely back to Mexico if detected.
The new vessels, emblazoned with "Texas Highway Patrol" logos, are part of a growing presence on the border by the Texas Department of Public Safety, which also has a $4 million reconnaissance helicopter which was purchased with seized drug money, according to KHOU.
"It sends a message," Jose Rodriguez, Texas DPS Regional Commander told the station. "Don't mess with Texas."
The boats -- costing about $3.5 million -- were funded with a combination of Texas legislative money and federal grants, according to DPS spokesman Tom Vinger. They will operate on the Rio Grande and lakes that feed it as well as on the Intercoastal Waterway, a narrow channel between the coast of Texas and South Padre Island.
He said they were in part a response to the "splashdown" strategy that drug traffickers have used in recent years to avoid arrest and confiscation of the drugs. When pursued, some smugglers drive into the river where they are met by boats that take the people and cargo back to the Mexico side of the border river.
A video, shot from a helicopter shows a "splashdown" escape, in which suspected drug traffickers being pursued by authorities drive their truck into the Rio Grande river, where it forms the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas. They are then picked up with their cargo and ferried back to Mexico in rafts.
"Just like any patrol unit, the (gunboat) patrols give higher visibility to deter and, if necessary, to interdict," said Vinger.
The nonprofit Texas Border Coalition said resources to stop drug smuggling and other illicit activities -- including smuggling of illegal immigrants -- would be more effectively utilized by investing in legal border crossings.
The border checkpoints are "woefully lacking" in technology and personnel, said Julie Hillrichs, spokeswoman for the organization, which studies a range of issues that affect border communities. The result is not only continued smuggling, but hours-long wait times for legitimate commerce, she said.
In a recent report, the coalition said an estimated 90 percent of the cocaine, marijuana, heroin, methamphetamine and MDMA smuggled across the border comes through checkpoints alongside legal commerce.
"We're not suggesting that these vessels would not be needed," said Hillrichs. "We’re just saying that we have identified what we believe to be a weaker link. Drug cartels don’t send drugs through the river; they smuggle it through the border crossings," she said.
The federal government has spent more than $90 billion over the last decade to secure the U.S.-Mexico border — a significant portion of which has funded use of the U.S. military, including the National Guard, to bolster U.S. Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection forces, the coalition said.
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It's about time law enforcement took steps to combat the drug smugglers, and illegal immigrants.
The problem is the law enforcement officials (less ICE who are following Mr. Obama and the DHS orders) ARE DOING THEIR JOBS, and when they do their jobs....they are blasted from the Left media.
Further, this Administration has handcuffed them with Mr. Obama's recent Executive Order on the handling of Illegal Aliens (Immigrants) and the complete FAILURE of this Administration to SECURE both borders and UPHOLD our Immigration laws.
IDO..
I have no problem holding Obama to the flames on the admins failure to secure both borders... BUT I would also like to hold every other president to the same flames. Since we have never had a president or admin be able to secure our border.
Texas has it's own NAVY..........about time.
This is a feel good approach to a problem that will never go away and can never ever be won 8)
Prohibition will never work it didn't work in the 30s and it wont work today...
Think of all the billions of dollars WASTED on the Drug War when those funds could be used for Americans to get better jobs, school and aid...etc
S T U P I D
DEA and DOJ
Good Luck with your failed Drug Policy and War.
One of the Worst Sonsofbitches on the planet (Eric God Damn Holder)
RIP Agent Terry
Agreed. It's high time we started dealing with this problem.
1. Give Law Enforcement tools (like these) to safely patrol our borders.
2. Send drones over Mexico and kill these people. Also, send in Seal Teams when necessary.
3. Tell Mexico this will happen or they can kiss various types of aid and loans goodbye.
4. Lastly, legalize pot. Tax it. Use the proceeds to fund our operations.
39mm - I agree that enforcement is important. A better solution would be to address the core issues legislatively. Legalize and tax drugs. Pass comprehensive immigration reform including a solution for long-time residents. These two actions alone would probably free up enough time for the Texas Highway Patrol boats to do a little water-skiing and fishing.
ldo - You're a troll, right? Obama has spent more money enforcing the border and has deported more illegal immigrants than any other president in history. Why didn't your Republican heroes do this when they were in office??
yep....
Patrook, I'm not cutting Bush any slack, but his record is at least factual, where the Obama statistics are based on lies and deciet.
Obama changed the way that deportations are counted.
Under Obama's new system, Illegals turned back at the border are considered to have been "deported"
No other President has ever counted this way.
Under Obama, you can now "deport" the same person several times in one day.
The statistics look better, but they mean nothing if they have no integrity.
Obama has in fact ordered his agencies to relax on enforcement, as well as filing lawsuits against any state that tries to protect itself from the flood of illegals.
Ido is correct, you are misinformed.
Ron Paul wants to leave the drug laws up to the states and immediately free ALL people serving federal time for minor non-violent drug offenses. That means people who are in federal prison for simple posession or dealing. 90% of those inmates, incidentally, are black.
Ron Paul also wants to enforce our immigration laws. And he can do it too, because he won't have to pass new legislation, he will just order his agencies to enforce our existing laws.
As an added bonus, he will bring home the troops right now.
Ron Paul 2012
Take the money out of drugs and you eliminate the vast criminal enterprises associated with "drugs" because of the obscene profits. What we would be left with is the social problems associated with drugs (which we have now anyway).
All the murders, all the corruption of politicians, judges, etc. all that goes away....All the murders along the border are the result of drug cartels fighting over turf ($$$). De-criminalize drugs (anything that can be grown), control and tax it just like alcohol and tobbaco. It is WAY past time to pull our heads out of our "ideologies" and deal with the issue on a practical basis. What we have been doing doesn't work.
I thought it important to chime in here and remind everyobody that the LONE Star state used federal money to help buy these boats. Texas likes to be left alone by the rest of the country, except when they need money.
Wanna reduce the length of the border to about 400 miles? Bring Mexico into the Union and then our southern border would be with Belize. Just sayin'
So the state with the Governor and people that call for succession from the US knows where to get Federal funding. Where is all that the Feds are stupid and can't get the job done cr@p now? I guess it doesn't apply when you want money? Obama has deported more illegals than any other president.
Forget the gunboats..once they go bye they will still cross the river.
Place mines in the river..that will stop them!!
I know there are people who think we can win a war on drugs....and I know there are other people who think we can NEVER win the war on drugs......
But after a combat tour in the US Marines and a career as a policeman in Los Angeles my thoughts have always been:
"I am not here to win or lose a war, I am jsut here to shoot as many bad people as I can, while I can!!"
Semper Fi!!
Well lets see 90 billion spent so far in this war. The last war we ever won was war world ll. The boys in Washington are doing another fine job for the American people. I think Americans are sick and tired of things never working correctly. That was 90 billion right? I hope they get lots of ammo cause that is the only thing these people will understand. Sad but true..
Yoo hoo, 79 years ago america discovered that prohibition does not work. So what kind of fool persists in doing something that everyone, with a brain, knows is useless?
AZ rancher: Wow, you're a pretty scary cop. FYI, you aren't judge, jury, and executioner. You're not a Marine either. You're law enforcement. You sound like the kind of thug we need to fire from our police departments. Many innocent people have been shot because of your mentality. I knew one. He's dead.
I hope you're not a cop anymore.
Ido: Name one administration in the last 50 years that has secured our borders.
Nuff' said.
Did anyone read the article. Gunboats are fun and flashy, but not cost effective; just another toy for the few people that Rick owes a favor. Same money would have stopped more drugs, and improved our commerce with Mexico, by updating current entry points between the US and Mexico, where 90% of the drugs come thru.
Erase the dope laws, problem solved!
Not only does it not cost anything, it would be greatly cash positive. Sales, income and corporate taxes, unload the justice system, close half the prisons and lay off half the cops.
Perhaps Texas could use the aircraft carrier that Wyoming just declined to buy.
Fibercon: Do you understand how many American companies would go out of business if that happened? You would also see big price increases, especially in produce and electronics. Do some research. Mexico is our #1 Trading partner and ending that relationship would be devastating.
Steve-2352647: You took the words right out of my mouth. Just some more "toys" for the Texans to wreck. Plenty of places between the Texas and Mexico borders where the "Rio Grande" isn't 2 feet deep.
The laid off cops could get a real job doing growing or processing.
Hey barry, Texas has paid taxes, therefore they should be able to get some of it back.
All you liberals screaming hippocracy about government spending when a republican governor gets money for their state seem to be forgetting that those states sent money into the federal government.
Jeeeze.....I don't Know? Maybe the Department of Homeland IN-security might get pissed off! Maybe Top Cop Holder will sue them because HE doesn't want STATES to do the job the Feds are supposed to do (like Arizona tried to do)? Personally, I absolutely LOVE the idea but I would be afraid that the Feds wouldn't approve of it......He said facetiously!
GO GET 'EM LONE STAR STATE................GRIND THE SONS-A-BITCHES INTO A TACO MIX.
oh yea great trading relationship.the rich export our good paying manufacturing jobs and we import illegal aliens to take our crappy paying jobs.its win win for the rich.and now you know why we have about 15 percent unemployment.in fact all the free trade developed countries populations are being screwed the same way.who are you kidding we could stop all illegal immigration immediately if our government wanted to.military on the border and mines.itll happen just as soon as one of our cities is nuced.not even the rich could stop the populace ground swell then
Huh... I always thought that fat guy floating on an inner tube, wearing a NASCAR hat, drinking coors light and pointing his revolver at brown people was the "Texas Navy". Who knew?
Do they come with live bait wells .... ??
trainchaser I agree with you on the Mexico problem.. Half their citizens seem to be here already and they most likely would support a takeover.. We have no problem tossing other governments half way around the world.. This one is close by and would be far more economical just from the travel point of view.. States 51 through 55 sounds about right.. We could use the excuse that we are quelling violent drug cartels and corruption.. Although drug cartel members are worth 50 points each kill compared to the 100 points for Jihad fighters we could make it up with volume.. Just offer everyone in Mexico a US citizenship for switching sides and current elected officials could keep their posts.. Done deal!!!!! Up arming the police is a joke and just makes our big brothers feel more powerful.. Self reinforcing industrial military complex and spending money on power toys to create a "they got em so we want some too" marketplace..
The mess that California has made of legalizing Marijuana will set the movement back a few years.. Private growers and sellers is a recipe for disaster.. We all know why they did it this way, they were trying to avoid direct confrontation with the Federal Fools.. The better way would have been State licensed and inspected growers just like alcohol distillers are regulated and taxed.. Distribution through pharmacies that are already licensed to fill prescriptions for FDA meds and not pot bazaars that are making millions a week but are "not fo profit".. All profits should go to the home state and no interstate commerce in it should be allowed "home grown" so to speak.. Price should be fixed at $20 an ounce or less to discourage bootleggers and personal growing along with discounted or free distribution to people with valid health problems.. No more of the "Doctor my big toe hurts so write me a script for a few OZs.. For the non medical recreational users a price 2 to 3 times higher and purchased at state liquor retailers..
Problem solved.............
This from the guy blowing up the inner tubes the fat guy is floating on.......what he's not blowin the inner tubes he is blowing..........sorry this is a family posting...........Who knew?
DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS, the TX Dept of Highway Safety slogan, has been around for many, many years. I used to hate it, because I thought it was just Texans bragging (or should I say braggin') again. The reality is that the saying refers to "messing up" the land. It's an anti-litter campaign! I don't hate it any more, since I understand that it's actually a positive concept.
That should be >> discounted or free to low income patients with valid medical need.. The 2 to 3 times higher price for recreational use would be like a sin tax..
We lived in Texas for 7 years and boy was I glad to get the exit visa..
I agree with the people saying to legalize drugs...amazing that the majority of sheep in this country can't take a lesson from Prohibition. When is the last time you saw a gang war over alcohol? The 1920s. It was legalized, no more gang wars. Also, Prohibition never stopped people from drinking alcohol, just like the laws today don't stop millions from smoking pot, shooting heroin, snorting coke, etc. The sheep who think legalizing drugs is bad are the kind who think that everyone in the nation would suddenly start taking ecstasy, and somehow drugs would demoralize children. Hint, it would be just like it is now, but without the shootings and overcrowded prisons.
Lets see that was 4 million spent on ONE helicopter amazing and 3 million each on the boats must be the Texans IDEA of good business becUSE THEY ARE ALWAYS big ON THIS CRAP
We can also use the ignore feature for chester and never have to listen to your "drivel " again . see ya in a decade chet .
Kiragami, as the Greatest Texan Since Sam Houston (i.e., Nolan Ryan) once said, "If you can do it, it ain't braggin'. By that standard, Texans are not only the smartest, strongest, and handsomest people in the known universe, but the humblest as well.
Don't Mess With Texas.
Amazing the speed of modern reporting. I sent pictures of these boats to my kid at least two weeks ago on facebook. In another month you might hear about the national guard helicopters and drones patrolling the river out of Harlingen.
Leave it to the stoners to turn this into yet another forum for their quest to get high and stay high.
GO TO COLORADO STONERS ......FLOCK THERE AND SHOW THE US WHO YOU ARE...lol
funny how it is the red states that suck up MORE tax dollars than they ever pay, its those "libs" supporting your sorry, whining butts
So Texas has launched a gunboat fleet and Wyoming has decided not to purchase its own aircraft carrier...
What a great day in the news!
Screw the gunboats, get alligators in the river. Take em from the states that don't want em and they feed themselves with the smugglers, i mean food they catch. Better yet, Gators with friggin lasers on their heads.lol
Ok, so Texas has gunboats to use to shoot at the drug-runners and "illegals" crossing the International border. How about also going after the U.S. Citizens who "happen" to ILLEGALLY cross that same border?
It was just last summer when a pair of stupid vacationing Uh-muricans decided that they didn't need to go through the Customs check-point just because they wanted to get to the "better fishing" on the MEXICAN SIDE of the reservoir they were boating on. Yeah, and they the audacity to complain when they were "attacked by Mexican thugs" while ILLEGALLY ON THE MEXICAN SIDE OF THE BORDER.
The only way this country can win the war on drugs if the stupid moron American people would stop doing drugs. American people are so retarded, by doing drugs you only making these rich cartels richer at your expense and they are killing you off slowly without being in this country. Its ashame that American's today only care about is being doped up and partyyyyyyyyyy. No pride,or morals or values anymore.!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chester12dude,
Probably the most ignorant string of posts I've read in days. Your information is based on lies. So pot damages DNA? Hmmmm, wonder where you are getting your info. And any of you anti-drug nuts that are alcohol drinkers, even just "social drinkers", are dangerous hypocrites.
But anyway, I guess you guys realize that without the "drug war" we would probably find some other way to satisfy our needs for a good John Wayne movie. There are those among us who have a need to play violent games from a strategic point of self-righteousness. It makes them feel superior.
Typical pothead responses.... make it leagl, tax it, blah blah blah. Bottom line is it isn't legal so deal with it. Until that changes, we DO NOT want, or allow, it in this country. So cease ur whining...
yakfitguy, you are suspended for a day for violating rule # 1 of the Code of Honor.
When the Republic of Texas joined the union, it kept the right to have its own navy. It also has the right to split itself into five separate states if and when it wants to. It has a very different and unique status among the states because it was a nation before a state.
Time for Texas to become its own nation again.
Holder will sue if Texas actually uses them. Probably scrambling to file already. When the Feds approved the funds they thought they were for houseboats for housing democrat leaning friendly immigrants from the south. Surprise!
Guess what? Holder can sue all he wants. This is Texas. WE will protect our country!
Maybe I missed the part on my college courses of History & Geography but since when Texas is a country?
enrique, Texas WAS the only state that WAS its own, independent country after it broke from Mexico and before it joined the US
It's a waste of money, but it makes people who don't understand the problem feel better. (Ooooh, shiny! See, we are doing something! That'll show 'em!)
Too bad it costs money, since it's essentially money flushed down the toilet.
Two strangest quotes of the day:
How does "no commerce" put anyone to work anywhere? It would SHRINK the economy and ELIMINATE jobs! No ifs, ands, or buts.
Please tell us that you never, ever took a course in economics.
Really? To heck with 'upholding the law', 'serve and protect', and all that other 'sissy' stuff, eh?
I'm surprised Osama bin Laden never recruited you.
Did you actually have a license to kill, like James Bond? Did your badge number begin with a double zero?
And when you say your job as a police officer was to "shoot as many ... people as I can", what was the limiting factor? Due process, an inability to distinguish 'bad' people on sight, or supply of ammunition?
Was there a difference between shooting "as many ... people as I can" in Los Angeles, and shooting as many people as you were 'allowed' to, or was it pretty much the same thing? If there was a significant difference, did you find that frustrating?
No Quacked we do not enforce the border in the middle of Falcon lake We let the Mexicans fish our half of the lake too. The border is kind of like the wet foot/dry foot for Cubans in Florida. The Rio Grande/Bravo belongs to both of us.I 'm not sure you can tell where the middle of the river channel is in that lake. I've never seen it marked. And heck the best bass fishing is in the church of Old Guerrero cast through the door. Right now US policy is don't apprehend smugglers in the river. I think the state may take a different attitude on that.
I meant the WHOLE country . Geez.
Just keep "Holder" out of the area
Gary K..., I hope Obama's Administration stays away from it, next thing you know the Criminal in Chief will use them to transport more illegal arms to the Mexican Drug Lords like it did with Fast and Furious operation.
You do realize that all F&F did was let people buy guns. I thought you guys were all about gun rights...
No, Toasty---it allowed them to buy guns and illegally export them to Mexico-- big, big difference.
And most of that $$$ was useless......i.e.......$ 30,000,000,000 Boeing Virtual Fence FAILURE:
Whaaaat ? Significant portion funded use of U.S. military ? Yeah, right.....UN-ARMED National Guard who were only there in presence. If the Guard is ordered to either border, arm them and give them orders to SHOOT !!
Wait a minute.....the DHS is probably going to have the DOJ look into the "legal" use of these "boats" and probably come up with something to say the "boats" are a Texas Naval Flotilla and over steps the bounds of the U.S. Military or the U.S. Government.
This administration is riddled with incompetency.
No toasty most drug dealers just buy their guns from the right wing idiots at gun shows. They do not need feds to sell them, they just go to a redneck gun show and load their trunks....
GPotts--maybe you haven't been following the story all along. Guns were purchased at legal gun shops, then smuggled illegally into Mexico, apparently with DOJ blessings.
So let me get this straight. You attack the government when it regulates the sale of firearms... And then you attack it when it STOPS regulating it.
gpotts-1106111......
No mention of Eric Holder and "Fast and Furious" huh ?
Please provide posters a link to your assertion that dealers at gun shows are "right wing" and "rednecks".
Time to consider going back to your OWS tent.
Toasty, I am not against having some types of gun control. I really don't believe anyone except law enforcement or military needs an assault weapon. The whole F & F thing was totally ill-concieved and run even worse. You think that whole thing was okay? Would you like to see it repeated?
Toasty,
You're just being a friggin moron and trying to start an arguement. Go troll somewhere else ya lib.
Good catch, Toasty. There is nothing, repeat, nothing this administration can do that these tools would give credit for.
So Pedestrian--I guess you think F & F was a well thought out plan that was implemented brilliantly, huh? There must be a future as a leader of the Democratic Party for you!
And likewise, no mention of GWB and "Operation Wide Receiver," huh?
OMFG, the gun people have come out with some words put together in imitation thoughts! Declare them all "the militia" and regulate the hell out of them.
And of course no mention of "Operation Wide Receiver." And no mention of the record number of illegals deported under Obama. The guys whining about Obama are either (a) Birchers/kukluxers or (b) professional trolls for the rich.
If this is indeed true, would you like to be called the Pot or the Kettle?
The LEGAL sale of firearms for use by LEGAL citizens of the united States for LEGAL purposes is a right worth fighting for.
When you purchase a weapon and ILLEGALY smuggle it into mexico for criminal purposes is a CRIME.
When this is performed under the supervision of the Justice Department and results in the death of a Border Patrol agent......it's worse than a crime, its a travesty.
Holder and his cronies need to go...
"And likewise, no mention of GWB and "Operation Wide Receiver," huh?"
Operation Wide Receiver had the cooperation and informed consent of the Mexican government, Fast and Furious did not.
sean, seems to me it's just like I have been saying obama, holder are idiots!!!!
NO! We want Nobama and holder to do their jobs,Follow the Constitution and protect us from envasion. They do neither! They supply the cartels and sue any State that tries to protect their citizens. That may be o.K. to you .But not the rest of us.
Yuou freakin idiots fREAKIN Bush STARTED FAST AND fURIOUS ya dumb @!$%#
Well of course the sting operation could have been run better, Mike. But the fact is that law enforcement is a dangerous profession, and sometimes ops go bad.
*** Please provide posters a link to your assertion that dealers at gun shows are "right wing" and "rednecks". ***
Hilarious. The epistemology of the web-based half-wit. Truth equated to web links.
"Operation Wide Receiver had the cooperation and informed consent of the Mexican government, Fast and Furious did not."
Yes, and we know how big the Bush administration, and you assorted right-wing nutbags, are on the nicities of international law and respecting other nations' sovereignty. COMEDY GOLD.
Oh also, imbecile, you are wrong. Operation Wide Receiver was kept secret from the Mexican government, just like Fast and Furious.
National guard was there as spotters for the BP. I will honor their work 14 hour shifts of surveillance in Texas heat not fun.
MarkC-3886135.......
Talk about "epistemology of the web-based half-wit".....
Do you really think posters believe anything YOU say, your highness ? Suggest you go to one of Media Matters web sites and get your talking points and adjectives straight.
It really surprises me that you used imbecile, nutbags, but did not revert to the worn out words like "uninformed", "dumb", "ignorant", and "racist" since you cannot back ANY of your statements.
Wait a minute......are you really a member of Mr. Obama's "Truth Squads" ?
hey ido, please show me where there is a gun show full of liberals? I certainly have never seen one in the many gun shows I've been to.
of course you can't. you just make stuff up and scream "liberal" in a mindless, knee-jerk reaction because you think your spit doesn't stink.
you sound like one of becks "Lie squads"
What gives? I did not break any rule MsNBC Newsvine! Collapsing me again because I am not a Liberal? Could you be more BIAS?
AlexM-2364525, you are suspended for a day for violating rule # 1 of the Code of Honor.
R-sticker, you are suspended for a day for violating rule # 1 of the Code of Honor.
mgo, the collapses are caused by posters flagging your comment, not by the newsvine moderators, the mods either delete the post or suspend/ban you
too many bad marks and the post is collapsed, then the mods go look and see if it broke the rules
mgo. You were collapsed because there are so many people who get their panties in a bunch and don't like being disagreed with. You will find that here a lot.
actually cmach, I have to agree with that sentiment. I see a lot of posts that are simply disagreeable. I only occasionally flag truly offensive comments or always ads. it doesn't really matter if it is lib or con, both have their comments collapsed nearly equally. it really depends more on the subject itself and who starts flaming first
just because you (or I) think the poster is an idiot is not a reason to flag the comment
Me too Danwill... I rarely flag, unless it is very much offensive name calling or something. Everyone has the right to their opinion as long as they don't become ugly toward others. I always flag advertising. It's very annoying
Here, here. I concur.
I hate uncollapsing them to read it. Freedom of speech and all that. A lot of the time, the comments are off-topic, many are ads. But those that comment on a point by another post, I am interested in reading their point of view. Some are filled with facts, others are retallitory.
If all of you will notice all these brilliant gun smuggling fiascos were the work of the federal government. We in Texas do not as a state violate our neighbors laws. We like our BP agents safe a lot of them are Texans.
Supporting British companies. It's different if the foreigner is actually working in the United States.... somehow.
If our government had been doing its' job the last 40-50 years we wouldn't even be having a conversation about illegals
The federal governments resources are taken up with imposing and enforcing new laws and regulations on it's own American people. They don't have time to protect U.S.A.'s boarders.
U.S.A. needs a federal government that works for the American people. What we have is not working..!!
mostly run by Repuicks
Didn't you know last week Napolitano declared the border safe? Of course she talked to 2 county sheriffs and the police chief of a city not actually on the border. And the same day a shopper in El Paso was shot by a bullet fired in Juarez. Feel safer now?
Just as safe as being outside in any town in any state on the fourth of July.
How exactly do you know this bullet came from Juarez?
If we had SENSIBLE immigration rules, rules that took into account America's national self-interests, we wouldn't be having the conversation.
To the extent that the JOB of Congress is to pass good legislation, I agree with you.
But when bigots pass rules that limit the immigration of unskilled laborers to 5,000 per year in an attempt to keep Latin American out, when American businesses hired closer to 500,000 foreign born workers per year for 20 years, and gave them the training they needed to become valuable employees, all of which which explains the 10 million unauthorized immigrants who shore up our economy.
You can't fight the free market, but you can sure waste a LOT of money trying.
The current rules are stupid, dysfunctional, and operate AGAINST America's self-interest, all because some politicians think brown skin 'deteriorates the gene pool' while other politicians are merely afraid that people with brown skin will never vote Republican.
If they thought about their plans before they put them into action and spent our money it would be better. Like the "fence" fatally flawed from the moment they decided to put gates (not yet installed) with electronic alpha-numeric keypad locks in it. I give it 2 days before you can buy the code for the locks in every border town.
" Water, Texas Ranger " ? I see a new series for Chuck Norris, but does he know how to swim ?
Chucks retarded azz can barely speak. He has become a joke, or maybe revealed as one.
Answer: Chuck Norris doesn't swim, water just wants to be around him.
Chuck Norris vs Abraham Lincoln @1:21: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj2Zf9tlg2Y
WMG----LOL! GREAT!
The Czechs want to name a bridge after him. I thought you wouldn't want to name a bridge for anything old and decrepid . I suggest " The Jackie Chan Span ".
The Slovaks, Jim, Slovaks. Different country.
Chuck is so bad that even water is scared of him....Not
Markfrom Bridgeport - I stand corrected. I got the wrong half of the former Czechoslovakia.
I'm sure the Homeland Security department will make an attempt on yet another example of a state government stepping up when the FEDS won't.
As for needing more enforcement at the LEGAL border crossings? Where has Napolitano been on that?
The Feds have sent funding and personnel to help. What more should they do?
Where has any administration been when it comes to legal border crossings? This has been coming to a head for decades now. All the blind eyes that were turned from both the state(s) and federal government over the past 30+ years and you can only muster up blame for one person?
Where were both Bush's? Where was Clinton? Where was Reagan or Carter? Their administrations all turned blind eyes to the issue.
Just because the people have finally had enough of both the states and feds not doing enough, it is hardly fair to hold just a couple of people, or just one administration liable. Thousands of people are to blame, not just this current administration.
See my above post she declared the border safe last week/
lonereb, you come up with one incident where a woman was killed by a stray bullet, and how many Americans died in other gun-related accidents that same week?
(roughly twelve per week)
Makes me think of the old saying "What goes around comes around" When you pick a fight it won't stop just because and when you want it too. If you want to stop drugs stop the demand. If you want to stop illegals stop the demand. Perhaps we should just shoot the people who buy the drugs and hire the illegals. Or is that not what you had planned.
Whoops! Seems as though you're in favor of more "tragic gun violence". Won't do at all. Brain 'em all with ball bats, instead. Save your ammo for the zombies.
Brain who with ball bats? All the dumb fux that want to keep this stupid war on drugs going? Might take awhile but it would probably work.
Or if you really wanted to line up all the druggies and shoot them, just go to any nice suburb, pick a street at random, check to see how many are using alcohol and prescription pills for uppers and downers along with all the "illegal" drugs, shoot them all...........whooops, where did everyone go? Not a soul left on the block.
It's about time somebody did something. Holder and that POS POTUS can't be depended to uphold the laws of this country. Somebody has to.
Who are you going to blame for the last administration that did nothing? Or the one before that? Or the one before that?
Or is this administration the only ones at fault for the past 30+ years of free flowing illegals into the U.S.?
It took decades to make this mess, and it's going to take more than 4 years to fix it.
NYMike, it's like using a brand new microwave oven after years of using a regular stove. They will stand there and still yell 'HURRY UP!' because it isn't working fast enough for them, like with jobs, the economy, etc. They conveniently forget the 8 years it took to get this country in the state it is now in, but blame this Administration for not getting things done and turned around in 3 years.
It's not good here when you have to be careful while fishing in a state park.
and lonereb, you could be killed by a hunters stray bullet while fishing in many places in the US. rare, but it happens
Puhleeee, Why don't you blame your diety, Ronald Reagan, for granting amnesty to them back in the 1980's.
This would really have changed the endings to some of those old Western movies...
Yeah, but you want a great big harpoon mounted in the bow. Nunner this live catch and release b.s. Just shake the sticky mess offa the end of the harpoon an' shoot again - every time a deserving POS.
Gives new meaning to the term "WETS".
What the four machine gun mounts aren't good enough for you?
Hummmmmm
mmmmm.... The new "Texas Navy" ..... Will the first vessels be christened "James Bowie" and "William B. Travis" with a flag bearing " Remember The Alamo?"moonbeamracer, God I hope so !!!
It will give the cartels something to take target practice on. Try out those grenade launchers Reagan and Clinton sold them.....
We in Texas DO remember the Alamo. Is there a problem with that?
Do they get an aircraft carrier too?
That would be cool! There is one in the Arizona desert why not one in Texas. Not only could Navy practice carrier landing and take off but live fire exercise also!
Well, they already have a Battleship (USS Texas). Get that going, maybe they can get one of the retiring carriers like Nimitz. :-)
hail no! them boats gonna be called Perry Wins 1 through 34.
Starbuck... they just might get that aircraft carrier. That is, if Wyoming doesn't call dibs on it first.
Actually additions to Texas navy I think there is a sailing ship registered to the state too.
This ploy will be no more effective in stopping drug running than anything else, including the construction of a wall. The cartels will simply find another way to move their product to avoid this Texan Navy. You can bet on it.
You're right, but in the posts here you can see how good it makes the brain-damaged feel.
I hope the Rangers running the boats have been trained to check the intake for the motor. Since the boat only draws less than 2 ft of water, it's jet drive. When the intakes clog, the engines overheat, lose power and are sitting ducks as our Riverine force in Viet Nam found out. Probably not as much debris in the water as there was in the Mekong since there a not an overhanging jungle.
The cartels have plenty of money. Give them a couple of months and the texas navy will be dead in the water. I just hope no young men have to die in our desperate attempt to stop the un-stoppable. The drug cartels will die when we change our drug policy and not one second sooner.
gpotts---what do you think our drug policy should be then?
mike, it involves ideas that you don't want to hear, trust me.
let me guess---legalize all drugs, get the government involved, and tax the hell out of them?
None of the above.
hi codger64 --you are dead right. i and 4or5 company / slash fisrermen on the coppre river delta in the cordova, alaska area ,built jet boats for, traveling in 6 inches of water . we kept them around 26ft for maneuverability . the 34 footers couldn't turn around in some places on the rio grande. we could pack over a ton of red salmon. and still maneuver. two feet is two much. i though texas wasn't going to take money from this big and bad government. i suppose they had some made in china, labels too. by the way we learned to keep the intakes clear and flush coolers, also.
Not Rangers= DPS troopers there is a big difference. Rangers are the state's investigative arm of law enforcement. These are actually shallow draft boats and the river is wider than you think.
As long as the American public continues to bankroll the drug cartels, the problem will persist. By the way, its the American street gangs that distribute the poison to the American consumer.
I'm a Texan and this is the stupidest f*cking idea EVER. And not just because the war on drugs is morally bankrupt. It's macho BS posturing. The Rio Grand is barely more than a trickle upstream---you can jump across it in the summer. But these boats will look great in Rick Perry's reelection commercials. Ridiculous.
But Larry downstream the river is wider and deeper with dangerous currents. I think they'll be using them mostly south of Amistad and on Falcon Lake.
Yet more proof that Texans are morons.
Ahhhhh---there it is! I wondered when the Texas-bashing would begin! Maybe if youlived in Texas you would understand it better---instead of making sweeping statements with an uninformed view.
People that want to Recall Walker are also!
The morons are those sitting on their asses thinking that millions of illegals crossing the border are no big deal.
"Recall Walker" Isn't he a character in The Walking Dead?
mike, I live in Texas and still think it is a stupid idea. Got a slam for me also???
So Recall... what does YOUR state do to stop the ILLEGAL immigration?
Do you have to wait in line in your Emergency Rooms while they treat the colds, abscesses and deliver illegal's babies like we do in Houston? How much of YOUR tax dollars go to paying for those things? How many Illegal's are going to your school? How many ILLEGAL's are going to college on YOUR dollar?
I am a 2nd year Nursing Student and can literally go days without seeing a legal citizen in the ER.... Had to learn Spanish just so I could do my clinicals next semester.....
So you don't like this methodology? What do you suggest? Better ideas are always accepted...... until then shut up and let Arizona, Texas and the other border states defend YOUR country.....the best way we can while we are hog-tied by our own government....
Verno---that was directed at one person making generalized, sweeping statements. Are all Californians a bunch of gay so-and-sos because San Francisco has a large gay community? Are all people from Massachusetts bad drivers because old Teddy couldn't keep his car on the road?
If you want to debate the merits of the idea without a bunch of name-calling or juvenile insults, we can always do that. If you consider it a "slam" because of what I wrote in response to a specific comment by a specific writer, then there is nothing I can do to help you.
sean, got your panties in a bunch???
Take your welfare check down to the boarder and cuddle up with all the illegals you want!!!!
sean, not capitalized due to lack of respect!!!
Illegal immigration is WAY down - this is just an issue for racist fraidycats.
I'd rather have cheaper strawberries, and the contributions to Social Security from illegal immigrants who pick them, than take the police-state route. That IS stupid!
Texas is the State that talked loudly about secession (and then nevertheless taken Federal funds), and the State whose Governor even floated the idea of Texas printing its own currency. It also leads the nation in executions - never mind the questionable justice that led to many of them.
Most of those Texans who are greatly agitated about illegal immigration probably had illegal immigrants do their landscaping. I'm pretty sure of that, 'cause I lived in West Texas for a time, and the practice was common.
I would be happy to cut Texas out of the Union. Even better, I would support giving it back to Mexico.
I see the ghosts of a lot of dead Rebels , still whinning still mean as rattlin snakes. I smell way too much testosterone eminatting from a right wing that pretends to be bad assed Texan cowboys. We had enough of that with W. Drop the " immigration" and " illegal " labels and tell us your real meaning:MEXICANS. We all know that's what stuck in your craws. You should spend your time with subpoenas on Perry and his unbelievable crimes of corruption. I pretty sure you Dixie F*&Ktards will be back under your rocks by November 5th. Then it becomes like your worst nightmares when our programs like education and health are boosted by an intelligent president that has kept me safer from terrorist attacks than any other administration. You see my man Barry walks the walk.
No sweat Sean.... but again I ASK... do you have a better idea to solve the problem? Are you DOING anything other than typing away????? When did you last attend a city council meeting? Chamber of Commerce meeting? Perhaps a tax authority meeting to see how short they may be this year? Have you checked your school's budget? Do you have any idea how much the local district spends on ESL classes? That's English as a Second Language... you know for the welfare receivers who don't even feel the need to learn English to collect their checks? Do you know how much it costs banks to program ATMs in two languages? Do you Care? Probably not... as long as you don't have to wait in line at the welfare office or free clinic.... you are happy guzzling your beer......criticizing others... with your "Obama '08" bumper stickers....
I retired at 48 and decided to do something worthwhile... went back to school... keep active in the community and spend a LOT of time listening to the community and their issues.... and for some reason... they seem to be tired of "necessarily higher energy," the immigration issue being ignored or stifled by the feds.... and spending their hard earned money to bail out failed industry models.......or worse... the same old methodology in Washington...money to buddies and earmarks......
But again... I will defend your right to be the jerk you appear to be...'cause that's what Texans do.....Come on down... the job market is booming.... Lots of jobs BUILDING things.... but your type would rather run to the mailbox to get the check than get a job.......
Maybe if two of their universities had bullet holes in the walls they'd think different too. Look we have problems with the border we were asking our government to fix for thirty years. Our state is going broke having to provide schooling, housing and healthcare ( the federal government says it is dicrimination to ask if the person is legal) to people the government should have kept out in the first place. So if we decide to do the job you haven't STFU.
Then stop hiring them, if there are no jobs then they would not come.
How long before said gunboats end up as fishing boats?
Immediately..........fishing for drug smugglers........thanks for asking.
gtouch
Hence the need for a harpoon in the bow . . . sized for some big cartel dick, not Moby Dick.
Dam, $90 Billion. We could have built a brick and mortar fence for that. Hell probably could have gotten China to build us another Great Wall.
90 billion that's about 1/6th of the tax payer money Obama has spent paying back municipal unions who supported his 2008 campaign.
90 billion, that's only about 1/70th of what the gov't gave away to oil companies and part of that went straight into Dick Cheney's pocket. Corrupt cronie creeps.
River Rats are back, they were some bad ass dudes! Are they cleared to fire when facing Mexican Boarder?
Only if Perry can figure which side the mexican border is on
It is not going to work and it will not deter anything. They will figure out another way to do what they want to do. Just like the fence, they used catapolts and dug tunnels under it...I believe there is no stopping Mexico.
I would say looking at the business end of a .50 cal. would be a deterrent, maybe not to all but some. Better then whats in place now!
And man invented skeet shooting.
All it would take to stop the cross-border drug trafficking into the U. S., is a serious attitude by the government to do so.
Burn, bomb and napalm the first klick south of the border to dust. If the Mexician government objects about it, let them send troops to try and stop us.
All it would take to stop the cross-border drug trafficking into the U. S., is a serious attitude by the government to do so.
Sean havent heard from Pablo Escobar have you?
(Excuse me for not replying sooner. I had an itch and couldn't find a cheese grater.)
Name one, really serious thing, or effort, the Mexican government has done to stop this. Just one. And I'm not talking about just fighting the drug cartels, I mean physical efforts to stop any drug traffic from crossing the border.
Gunboats and all we still respect our neighbors to the south more than you do. We'd like to stop the problem. Yesterday BP was rescuing some one trying to swim the Brownsville ship Channel. The BP has automatic rescue beacons (pull handle we'll come save you type things) in the middle of nowhere Texas because we don't want people to die in scrub country or drown in the river.
They should just go back to reagan's era. He flew the drugs in with military aircraft. Cocaine Contra connection anyone. Hosenfus anyone?
Solomon, sending the military to the border towns practically creating an all out civil war is not physical enough for you? What would you suggest?
Why wern't these things paid for with confiscated drug money? By the time they get these mobilized the drug deals will have been done.
The chopper was. 3.5 Million is nothing compared to 90billion that has all but done nothing.
Very creative of IDO to shake his finger at Obama over the virtual fence when it's creation began in 2005 with the approval from the Bush administration. It's amazing that some people can point to every problem in the government as an Obama problem when he had nothing to do with it. It was created and funded by Bush and approved by congress in 2005. I think people like IDO's only problem with Obama is his skin color.
IDO is a plant Larry. He's just spooffing us nobody could be that misinformed unless one listens to Rush and Glen all day long.
I will "mess with Texas" for allowing a criminal, kidnapping father from NC take his son whom he beat to the floor with the assistance of Rick Perry, Mike Easley, and Roy Cooper. Forever shall I seek to correct their action and prosecution while he sits in luxury employed at TSU.
I will mess with Texas.
That is my civil right.
"Remember the Alamo"
and how stupid they were to stay and defend a building that no one wanted.
Mackie, I am sure all my fellow Texans are shaking with fear. You shouldn't show your ignorance about the Alamo and Texas history in a public forum.
Mike... it's his right to be an ass that the border states are fighting to protect..... with very little help from Washington.....
In the meantime... we will do our best within the guidelines and budget that Washington allows to keep the borders as secure as we can......
Remember the Alamo!
They were not fighting for the building there rocket scientist. Normally I would explain the history of it all to you but in this case I predict it would be a waste of time.....
sean weren't you the idiot correcting grammar and spelling???
as you said 21.4 "quite expecting me to pay for your problems"
Yep your the idiot!!!!
You don't live there because with your mouth you wouldn't make it a day!!!
Keyboard bravado????
Sean ever been to Texas?...come on down when you get a chance. :)
They gave Sam Houston 13 days to organize an army that beat Santa Anna in 21 minutes. We don't think they were stupid.
Sam had a little help from the Yellow Rose and her "friends." The army just had to walk in at daybreak. One of the only times in the past several hundred years that too much partying lost a war.
This sounds like good boats to put in the Strait of Hormuz, to confront Iran's speed boats.
Could be ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ if you hired Texans to operate them. Just for the record, we also have a battleship and an aircraft carrier at dock plus a full-fledged Texas Navy, State Guard (not National Guard ~ we have one of those, too). and The Confederate Air Force. Wanna start sumpin'?
Nawwwww...last time the yankees whipped your a$#.
That was when the north had productive factories and no unions. The economic landscape has chaneged.
No mark we won the last battle of the civil war at Palmetto hill. Unfortunately Lee had already surrendered at Appomatox. Recreation of battle to be put on 2015 Cameron Cty Historical society. and if the confederate air force attacks please don't attack Japan some of our planes are WWII japanese planes.
So you won the battle and lost the war, has this not been the US drug policy since Nixon?
Wasn't Texas and Mexico going to join and form their own country with Rick Perry as king?????
Time and time again prohibition's biggest beneficiaries are the traffickers and the jailers. Viva la "War on Drugs" pendejos!
"
mgo-1426388
Gary K..., I hope Obama's Administration stays away from it, next thing you know the Criminal in Chief will use them to transport more illegal arms to the Mexican Drug Lords like it did with Fast and Furious operation.
Yea that is so much worse than the "Contra affair" with
You need to revisited the Contra Affair archives before making this delusional statement of a subject matter that you have no knowledge at all.