Are our border patrol officers outgunned on the border?

Question

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20070309-124712-9875r.htm

"Violence along the U.S.-Mexico border is undergoing what U.S. law-enforcement authorities call "an unprecedented surge," some of it fueled by weapons and ammunition purchased or stolen in the United States.
Federal, state and local law-enforcement officials from Texas to California, concerned about the impact of illegally imported weapons into Mexico, say they already are outmanned and outgunned by ruthless gangs that collect millions of dollars in profits by smuggling aliens and drugs into this country."

What do you think?

What should our government do about this?

Answer 1

This part of the article really caught my attention :
In a recent report, ICE noted that border gangs were becoming increasingly ruthless -- targeting rivals, along with federal, state and local police, including the U.S. Border Patrol agents, who have faced an increase in assaults as the agency seeks to bring operational control to the border.
T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, which represents all 11,000 of the agency's non-supervisory agents, said violence by gangs battling to control smuggling routes into this country has increased dramatically and is spilling into some U.S. communities.
Mr. Bonner said that while much of the violence is directed at rival gang members, there is an "inevitable spillover that touches innocent civilians and law-enforcement officials on both sides of the border."
He said assaults against Border Patrol agents have more than doubled over the past two years, mainly by drug cartels "far more inclined to utilize violence as a means of achieving their goal of successfully smuggling contraband and people."

Arizona's House Of Representatives just passed a law giving the Arizona National Guard the right to arrest illegal aliens.
We must allow the guard to do its job of protecting America. They must be given the power and equipment to combat this ruthless bunch of intruders. This criminal element must be stopped or contained by whatever means possible. This is an all out war on our
borders. This is one war on drugs and human smugglers we must not lose.

Answer 2

Our government should allow (REQUIRE!) border patrol agents to guard the border and give them the means to do so effectively. We really do need a border fence, as much as the idea bothers some people. I don't think it would bother them if they didn't think it would work. It would make it easier for the border patrol to do their jobs if there wasn't wide open spaces for thousands of miles for people to cross. Of course we need for our current immigration laws to be enforced inside the country as well. But what good would that do if the illegals keep pouring over the border by the thousands while the world watches to see what we will do with them? They can't pose and cry for the cameras if they are not here.

Answer 3

EVERYONE READ THIS!!! Incase that you didn't know "Americans" ,the racist ones and includling the government, really didn't want illegal immigrants especially Mexicans, they would stop them from coming to America. But the only reason that the U.S. doesn't interfere with illegal immigrants crossing through the border of Mexico is because the governement doesn't want Mexico as an enemy!!!They are neighbors.Think about it, how many countries hate America? If Mexico would to become anemies with the U.S. your precious America would be off the map!!!Mexico would form alliances with other countries and have war with America. And America would go down really think about it. America on one side Mexico on the other say with Japan, China, and some other Middle Eastern countries.So that is Why America will not stop illegal immigrants from comming through the mexico border. Come on America can have someone go to the moon and come back, take a regular civilian to the moon and bring them back, but they can't stop illegal immigrants from crossing the border?????

P.S. The only reason that there is so much chaos against illegal immigrants and the borders right now is because Bush needs for America to worry about something else besides the war and how all your children, husbands, siblings, family, and friends are dying in the Middle East.

Answer 4

Nothing surprising in the article. The sad part is that the government has been counteractive, hamstringing the B. Patrol, and I don't trust the government to stop it. I do expect a war on the horizon.

Answer 5

The border patrol is out gunned big time. Here is how we can fix this for good. The border patrol will do only the ports of entry. The security of the border will be under the military, and oh yes they may use its fire power as they see fit.

Answer 6

Outgunned and not supported by the Government. Pardon the Border Guards.

Answer 7

this is really a complicated issue since my father came over here illegally and later became a citizen and if he hadnt traveled i woundt have the life that i have right now so i guess that coming over here illegally is both good and bad its bad because there might terrorist that can get into this country and either supply those gangs or try to bomb this country. and its good because there are hardworking mexicans that want to come over and earn an honest living get a good job and provide a better life for their future kids. so there pros and cons to illegal immigration ultimately it looks like there wont a clear decision anytime soon. but for right now all we can is to hope that our country and the ppl living in it dont get hurt

Answer 8

Give the two border agents who have been imprisoned another trial WITH ALL of the evidence, and not just the cherry picked stuff that they had to convict them.

Then they should give them everything that they need to protect the US from this invasion!

Answer 9

of course there out gunned they are not allowed to shoot back. HINT: two boarder guards open fire on an armed drug smuggler and end up in prision. Our own army guard can't even shoot they actually have cards telling them what to say and if they get CAPTURED.

Answer 10

I'm just waiting on Mexico to formally declare war so we can quit pretending that it's not what their agenda is. It is war at the border whether the government wants to see it or not. Foreigners are invading our land and killing our people. It's time to quit pretending there's nothing going on or that it's going to get better. It gets worse and worse everyday.