The recent Arizona mission described in my previous articles has been concluded. Readers have expressed an interest in the outcome of our attempts to assist Border Patrol and the unfortunate residents of southern Arizona. In the interest of brevity I cannot accurately describe the day-to-day operations in a manner befitting your sincere attention to this matter, but I can break it down into a well known format that should suffice.

The Good

American patriots from around the state of Florida and abroad stepped up to the plate in an admirable and honorable fashion by donating equipment, ammunition, food supplies and money in support of this operation. Without their help this trip would have been an enormous burden for the Florida team. All returning members have repeatedly stressed that, if I write nothing else, a truly sincere thank you letter to all that assisted is called for. So, on behalf of these men and their survival, thank you patriots!

Following a non-stop, forty hour road trip that included five men, two vehicles and a supply trailer, the first element of our team arrived in the southern Arizona desert caustically dubbed “Cartel Corridor”. Civilization was quickly a memory and the desert stretched for miles in all directions. The team was greeted and quickly briefed by a lone Georgia patriot (and friend) known only by his call sign “Bushmaster”. This man remained a liaison with the Arizona units and worked with our team throughout all operations.

Over the next week and a half, during which time three more Florida team members arrived to assist, the team reconnoitered by day and patrolled or set up LP/OPs (listening posts/observation posts) by night. Sleep was only to be in starts and fits. In all, the Florida team was able to intercept two drug runners, confiscate a total of eighty-one pounds of marijuana, identify and clear multiple smuggling operation overlooks, clear supply caves, divert an unknown number of illegal aliens and their coyote guides and establish excellent rapport with local and federal law enforcement. It is also important to note that units from Arizona located multiple staging areas for drug runners and shared this intelligence with Border Patrol. Although these articles focus on the Florida team, enough cannot be said for the good that the American Civil Sentinels of Arizona and their leader, “Grayhawk” continue to do on the border. Our hats are off in respect to these men and women.

In a final note we wish to thank the couple from Iowa, who will only be identified as “Hawkeye” and “Cricket” for their help in re-supply observation and base camp security. They spent their own money and time to go to Arizona and help in any way they could, simply out of a sense of duty. God bless America and her true sons and daughters!

The Bad

The desert of southern Arizona is beautiful… in pictures! Every plant, weed or rock there hates you and wants to kill you. It is a rugged terrain that prefers its isolation left intact. It is the home of scorpions, rattlesnakes, coyotes (the animal) and the dreaded Jumping Cholla Cactus. Now, in Florida we are no stranger to dangerous flora and fauna, but the desert does take some getting used to. Suffice it to say that needle and thread are a must-have for your combat load. These items will be needed for clothing… or skin, as the situation dictates.

On a more serious note, the young men and women who make their living through our taxes in this environment are horribly understaffed. The Bureau of Land Management Rangers and U.S. Border Patrol are quite often found to be roaming the desert in marked vehicles alone or, at best, with one other agent. They are outmanned, outgunned and constantly under the surveillance of mountaintop observers that report their every move to the drug runners and coyotes. This situation has not changed in many years and is one of the primary reasons the cartels have been able to grow so powerful and so violent. The Rangers and BP often find themselves further handcuffed by the orders of their superiors as various political (and potentially deadly) games are played by decision makers. This will never change until the situation on the border is finally viewed as a viable national threat to be addressed by U.S. military intervention. Nothing less will be even remotely effective.

The Ugly

Okay, here is the cold, hard truth. The collective efforts of county law enforcement, BLM Rangers, U.S. Border Patrol and concerned citizen-soldiers (read, “Militia”) are currently as effective in stopping this criminal invasion of our country as attempting to bail out the ocean with a Dixie cup. The reports from mainstream media are almost criminal themselves because of their lack of intensity. Make no mistake about it dear reader, your country has been, and continues to be, invaded by a vast army of violent criminals intent on ruling through brutality and intimidation. This is not because they are Mexican, or Guatemalan, or Colombian. It is because they are criminals with a criminal mindset. Citizens and police officers just south of the border now live under the constant threat of sudden and violent murder. As reported by the Associated Press, Americans that have recently made the mistake of stepping into Mexico have been immediately gunned down. The cartels will soon (if not already) have complete control of the towns, cities and ranches of Mexico. The people will either bend to their ways or die. The cartels do not compromise, they do not negotiate and they do not quit. The violence amongst cartels for ultimate control rages with no concern for collateral damage. Any concession or compassion is viewed as weakness and spurs further brutal attacks. These wars are funded by the sale of human slaves and illegal drugs inside the United States. After applying these facts to brief and simple logic, you won’t (or can’t) come to the conclusion that it will probably just stop on its own someday. Of course it won’t. And just like every other criminal atrocity throughout history, ignoring it will only ensure that it gets worse.