Southeast Arizona: September, 2010 

The pre-dawn stillness was broken by the low rumble of a rugged four-wheel drive vehicle as it topped the crest of a hill and stopped. Seven camouflaged riders emerged and silently began removing gear and weapons from the vehicle. The group had only recently met and consisted of two men and one woman from Arizona, one man from Georgia, one from Texas and two from Florida. All were military veterans from various branches of service and all knew the seriousness of the situation. 

After donning wildly varying forms of tactical gear purchased with their own money and customized to their liking, five members of the group set off on foot in the direction of the U.S. border with Mexico. One man and the woman remained behind to operate communications relay equipment from the hilltop. 

The five man patrol was a hodge-podge of American patriots from three different states. Only the two from Florida had worked together before and, because of their previous experience, were placed in charge with one taking point and the other operating as fire-team leader. The air remained still and the full darkness covered their movement along the hills as they traveled the two miles to the border. 

Twenty minutes after sunrise the point man observed two distinct trails in the dew along the scrub on the ground. After notifying the fire-team leader with silent hand signals, the patrol switched to tracking mode with 360 degree security in order to avoid a possible ambush. The hunt was on. 

Over rough and rocky terrain more suited for goats than men, the hunt pursuit continued. The fire-team knew that they were closing on Mexican drug runners that made their living by working for powerful cartels on the other side of the border. This was the runners’ domain. They had traveled these hills and mountains many times as they carried and delivered their cargo. The drug runners knew that if the Americans caught them they would be held at gun point and arrested by law enforcement summoned by the communications and relay team far above. If the runners managed to escape but lost the cargo, they would face death at the hands of the cartel. They were armed and decided that it would be better to return temporarily to Mexico or kill the Americans than to risk arrest or losing the cargo. 

At the base of the final rise just on the northern side of the border, the Florida operatives briefed the others on what to expect at the top. The Mexicans would have the high ground and likely be ready. It was a moment of grim reality…  

This is a true account from a man from Florida who went to Arizona in September and will be returning with nine more men in October, in hopes of helping the residents of Arizona secure their border and their homes. 

Few people in America know of, or understand the extent of the chaos and distress in Arizona. The facts have been purposely downplayed and distorted in the mainstream media. There are 370 miles of unsecured international border between Arizona and Mexico which have become overrun by drug smuggling, human trafficking, and extreme violence.

Eighty miles north of the border into Arizona, the evidence of foreign illegal activity is startling: the mounds of trash and empty drug packs in pristine wilderness areas, the constant flow of illegal immigrants, and a sharp increase in murder and kidnappings. The violence targeting any American or law enforcement is common, and now runs rampant in what used to be a safe part of Arizona – a part that many Americans still call home.

Phoenix has been called the kidnapping capital of the U.S. In most cases the abductions are tied to human smuggling, which has become the new more lucrative illegal business. The scenario is, more often than not Central American people who have paid others to smuggle them into the U.S. illegally, but instead, upon arrival they are sold as human cargo to members of the drug cartel who then use the men as smuggling mules and use the women for forced prostitution. Many of these people are held for ransom, and in most cases their families simply cannot pay the money, so they are tortured and murdered, or sold as slaves. In the last few years the city has had averaged a kidnapping a day, many resulting in torture and death. These are brutally violent deaths with the victims being found with their arms tied to ceilings, their fingers smashed by bricks and their skin burned with hot iron.

In comparison to human trafficking the drug trade is nowhere near as profitable, you can sell a human hundreds of times, and drugs can only be sold once. However, the amount of drugs coming into our country over the border is still quite large. Last year, in marijuana alone they seized an average of one and a half tons per day.  

The murder of Arizona rancher Robert Krentz in late March is only one of many. The subsequent investigation revealed a story of a much loved and charitable man who was simply out on his ATV mending fences on his ranch when he and his dog were shot. The scent of his murderer was followed by dogs fifteen miles back to the Mexican border. Mr Krentz was armed but never got a chance to reach for his weapon. Friends believe he must have come across someone he believed needed help and was therefore caught off guard.  

Local citizens, border patrol, and local law enforcement are overwhelmed. Their cries for help have been ignored by the federal government for reasons this writer will not speculate on. The border is simply too long, and in many cases the barrier is made of three strands of barbed wire. Arizona does not have nearly the manpower or resources needed to even begin to address or solve this problem. They are simply outnumbered and unequipped. 

Arizona governor Jan Brewer has made many appeals to President Obama for help from the federal government. She was eventually allocated a little over five hundred national guardsmen with no powers of arrest and instructions not to interfere with the illegals. As of this writing a grand total of thirty guardsmen have actually been sent to Arizona. The federal government’s final response to the situation has been to post signs stating that the area is a known drug trafficking area and is unsafe for Americans. Additionally, the Justice Department has filed suit against Arizona for trying to solve the border problems plaguing its citizens through SB-1070. There are ranchers, families, and individuals who live in or near these areas who have been left defenseless. 

Some time ago, a group of Arizona residents sent out a request for help. A small contingent of Florida patriots and veterans answered. This group has been to Arizona to assess the problems, and work with the local law enforcement, border patrol, and citizens to stop the illegal and dangerous activity in this area. Their primary concern was to provide our brothers and sisters in Arizona with safety and security.

The Florida group is now preparing to return in a few weeks to help secure the border. They are calling this mission OPERATION HARVEST. This is the time of the year when the poppy crop as well as others are harvested in Mexico and the drug trafficking picks up considerably. That’s why the mission was planned for this time of year, with the goal to make a powerful impact in securing the border.

The men who have volunteered for this dangerous mission are patriots, and are going to help their fellow Americans in a time of need. These men hope to give help and support where the federal government has refused to do so. One of the men leading the group has posted a page for donations to help with travel expenses. For those who would like to make a donation or for more information, the link is below.

http://realworldsurvival.webs.com/recondonations.htm 

Also, here are some clips of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer challenging President Obama:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLgZ1LWLlko

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzDlN7VLmXQ

For Arizona and all of America the enemy is no longer at the gates. The enemy has invaded our home and will not leave without drastic action, vigilance and the determination of all who care.