Mexican military chopper crosses the border, shoots at agents TUCSON - News 4 Tucson has learned a Mexican military helicopter travelled across the border and fired on U.S. Border Patrol agents.
It happened in the early morning hours Thursday, west of the San Miguel Gate on the Tohono O'Odham Nation. The chopper fired on the agents but missed them. The chopper then flew back into Mexico. We're told Mexican authorities contacted the U.S. and apologized for the incident.
We've received two statements regarding the incident:
Art del Cueto, Border Patrol Tucson Sector union president: The incident occurred after midnight and before 6 a.m. Helicopter flew into the U.S. and fired on two U.S. Border Patrol agents. The incident occurred west of the San Miguel Gate on the Tohono O'odham Indian Nation. The agents were unharmed. The helicopter went back into Mexico. Mexico then contacted U.S. authorities and apologized for the incident.
Andy Adame, U.S. Border Patrol Spokesperson: Early this morning, a Mexican law enforcement helicopter crossed approximately 100 yards north into Arizona nearly 8 miles southwest of the Village of San Miguel on the Tohono O'odham Indian Nation while on a drug interdiction operation near the border. Two shots were fired from the helicopter but no injuries or damage to US property were reported. The incident is currently under investigation.
If reports are accurate, it looks like an "oops" but I would think anytime you have a military incursion across your border with shots fired that would be newsworthy. You can bet if it was a pickup truck of rednecks driving by thinking they were shooting at gophers it would have made the national news.
HOUSTON, Texas--Breitbart Texas has confirmed that on Thursday morning a Mexican military helicopter flew into the U.S. and shot at Border Patrol agents.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol provided Breitbart Texas with a statement that said, "At approximately 5:45 a.m. Thursday morning, a Mexican law enforcement helicopter crossed approximately 100 yards north into Arizona nearly 8 miles southwest of the Village of San Miguel on the Tohono O'odham Indian Nation while on a law enforcement operation near the border. Two shots were fired from the helicopter but no injuries or damage to U.S. property were reported. The incident is currently under investigation."
According to a report from local media outlet KVOA, Mexican authorities reportedly apologized to the U.S. subsequent to the fired shots.
As Breitbart Texas previously reported, more than 500 armed Mexican troops or police have crossed the border and entered the U.S. over the past 10 years. U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner Gil Kerlikowske said that 131 people were detained as a result of the instances, which are reportedly referred to as "incursions." A total of 81 such incursions involved "verbal or physical contact."
It may be easy to label the crossing of armed Mexican authorities as ironic, given that in April, U.S. citizen and Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi was imprisoned in Mexico. Tahmooressi made a wrong turn across the border while possessing weapons that are legal in the U.S., but illegal in Mexico. He has been held in a Tijuana prison for almost three months and faces charges could keep him in Mexico for the next six to 21 years.
Why aren't we jailing those who cross our border illegally? I'm pretty sure the military helicopter isn't a "legal" weapon for U.S. civilians. If the border is so hard to find that it's crossed THAT often "accidentally" then we don't have a border.
[This message has been edited by Formula88 (edited 06-27-2014).]
I'm pretty sure the military helicopter isn't a "legal" weapon for U.S. civilians.
I dunno, a good many think the 2nd amendment covers that, even if it is a Mexican military helicopter. We could ask our resident Constitutional expert, or, at least, our resident 2nd Amendment expert.
Originally posted by heybjorn: I dunno, a good many think the 2nd amendment covers that, even if it is a Mexican military helicopter. We could ask our resident Constitutional expert, or, at least, our resident 2nd Amendment expert.
Irrelevant. The comment was in reference to the Mexican government's treatment of Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, so the analogy would compare to the US government's idea of what's legal.
quote
Originally posted by Nurb432: What difference does it make? They were not US citizens flying that thing anyway..
Hmmm, that sounds so familiar. Probably not something important, just sweep it under the rug.
------------------ Ron Count Down to A Better America: http://countingdownto.com/countdown/196044 Isn't it strange that after a bombing, everyone blames the bomber, his upbringing, his environment, his culture, his mental state but … after a shooting, the problem is the gun?
My Uncle Frank was a staunch Conservative and voted straight Republican until the day he died in Chicago. Since then he has voted Democrat. Shrug
