A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman confirmed the
notification process, describing it as a standard procedure meant to reassure the Mexican
government that migrants' rights are being observed.
Minuteman members were not so sanguine about the arrangement, however, saying that
reporting their location to Mexican officials nullifies their effectiveness along the
border and could endanger their lives.
"Now we know why it seemed like Mexican officials knew where we were all the
time," said Chris Simcox, founder of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps. "It's
unbelievable that our own government agency is sending intelligence to another country. They
are sending intelligence to a nation where corruption runs rampant, and that could be
getting into the hands of criminal cartels. "They just basically endangered
the lives of American people."
Officials with the Mexican consulate in Washington, D.C., could not be reached for
comment.
"Once an illegal alien is apprehended, they can request counsel," he said.
"We have to give their counsel the information about their apprehension, and that
includes where they are apprehended, whether a Minuteman volunteer spotted them or a
citizen."
Mexico's official perception of the civilian groups is that they are vigilantes, a belief
the Border Patrol hoped to allay by entering into the cooperative agreement.
One of the documents on the Web site, "Actions of the Mexican Government in Relation
to the Activities of Vigilante Groups," states that Mexican consulate representatives
stay in close contact with Border Patrol chiefs to ensure the safety of migrants trying to
enter the U.S., those being detained and the actions of all "vigilantes" along
the border.
"The Mexican consul in Presidio also contacted the chief of the Border Patrol in the
Marfa Sector to solicit his cooperation in case they detect any activity of `vigilantes,'
and was told to immediately contact the consulate if there was," according to the
document. "Presidio" refers to Presidio County, Texas, which is in the Big Bend
region and a gateway to northern Mexico.
The document also describes a meeting with San Diego Border Patrol sector chief Darryl
Griffen.
"(Griffen) said that the Border Patrol will not permit any violence or any actions
contrary to the law by the groups, and he is continuously aware of (the volunteer
organizations') operations," according to the document. "Mr. Griffen reiterated
to the undersecretary his promise to notify the General Consul right away when the
vigilantes detain or participate in the detention of any undocumented Mexicans."
The documents specifically named the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps and its patrols, which
began monitoring Arizona's southern border in April 2005, as well as Friends of the Border
Patrol, a Chino-based nonprofit.
TJ Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a union representing
more than 10,000 Border Patrol agents, said agents have complained for years about the Mexican consulate's influence over the agency.
"It worries me (that the Mexican government) seems to be unduly influencing our
enforcement policies. That's not a legitimate role for any foreign nation," Bonner
said, though he added, "It doesn't surprise me."
Border Patrol agents interviewed by the Daily Bulletin said they have been asked to report
to sector headquarters the location of all civilian volunteer groups, but to not file the
groups' names in reports if they spot illegal immigrants.
"Last year an internal memo notified all agents not to give credit to
Minuteman volunteers or others who call in sightings of illegal aliens,"
said one agent, who spoke on the condition he not be identified. "We were told to
list it as a citizen call and leave it at that. Many times, we were told not to go out to
Minuteman calls."
The document also mentions locations of field operations of Friends of the Border Patrol,
which patrolled the San Diego sector from June to November 2005. Mexican officials had
access to the exact location of the group founded by Andy Ramirez, which ran its patrols
from the Rough Acre Ranch, a private property in McCain Valley.
Ramirez said that for safety reasons, he disclosed the location of his ranch patrol only
to San Diego Border Patrol and law enforcement officials. The group did not apprehend or
spot any undocumented migrants in that area.
"We did not release this information ... to the media or anyone else," Ramirez
said. "We didn't want to publicize that information. But there it is, right on the
Mexican government's Web site, and our government gave it to them."
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