This is good news. Let's hope this type of effort continues, rather than for the purpose of a horse and pony show.
Cross posted from Morning Coffee:
From the Houston Chronicle
3-week effort drastically cuts illegal activity in 5 Texas counties
DEL RIO - A secretive multi-agency law enforcement blitz targeting human and drug trafficking in a desolate stretch of the border has curtailed illegal activity and befuddled smuggling cartels, Gov. Rick Perry disclosed Tuesday.
The three-week initiative that ended Monday in five border counties used state troopers and sheriff's deputies as a second line of defense behind the U.S. Border Patrol and other federal agencies, with surprising results, Perry said.
"We've effectively shut down these international crime syndicates in this sector of the Texas border, and that is a powerful statement," the governor said.
In a post-operation briefing, several border sheriffs said they recorded sharp drops in crime and arrests during "Operation Del Rio," which began June 2.
This just clearly demonstrates something I have said all along. Indidvidual States have the authority, the ability, and the power to stem the tide of various illegal activity along the border. All it lacked was the will to actually do it.
Key elements of the strategy are increasing patrols, centralizing command and intelligence gathering, and leveraging technology, he said.
DPS intelligence analyst Leo Rios said the Del Rio-area effort disrupted smuggling patterns by working with the Border Patrol to steer illegal traffic into heavily watched areas and by keeping smugglers guessing about when and where they would be intercepted. The Texas officers even seemed to disappear from the area for several days at a time to befuddle smugglers.
"Lo and behold, we started up again. We hit them again, and we had a sizeable number of seizures and arrests," Rios said. Lately, the smugglers have "gone to ground again" to hide and wait for another opportunity, he said.
But the bottom line from the operation was that "we're capable of shutting down all transports of illegal drugs and criminals in this area to zero for up to seven days. This was due to be a banner year, and we shut them down," Rios said.
For border residents, the results are tangible, officials said. During the operation, Val Verde County reported a 76 percent drop in major crimes compared to last year, and one barometer — losses to burglaries — dropped from $91,000 to $1,200 during the intensive law enforcement.
Zapata County Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez said arrests and seizures from crimes often tied to illegal immigration were almost nil this month.
"Our informants tell us, `Whatever it is you're doing, it's working. Everything is at a standstill. Nothing is moving — humans or narcotics,' " he said.
Maverick County cited a 27 percent drop in crimes during the initiative; Kinney County reported a decline in burglaries; and Starr County said it's seen a sharp drop in kidnappings this year.
CommonSenseAmerica posted New Yorkers To Rally Against Illegal Immigration, which provides information on NYICE (New Yorkers for Immigration Control & Enforcement). They are planning a Rally in front of Senators Clinton and Schumers Manhattan Offices Friday… (Click the llink for the info… )
**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email the coalition and let me know at what level you would like to participate.**
tag: Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII) tag: Illegal Immigration Reform tag: DeMediacrat
