Texsox Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 REYNOSA - Alberto Perez Diaz sat with his backpack, a 2-liter bottle of Coca-Cola and a fresh pair of tennis shoes as he kicked back at the Casa del Migrante here Wednesday afternoon. The native of the Mexican state of Chiapas had spent the previous two days on a bus, watching the scenery change from lush expanses of jungle near the country's southern border to the dry scrubland that makes up much of its northern frontier with Texas. Soon, the 30-year-old Perez said, he would leave the Casa del Migrante - a Catholic-run shelter that offers migrants a brief respite - and then swim across the Rio Grande and walk north. "There's lots of work but little money" in his home state, he said in Spanish. Migrants like Perez continue to cross into the United States on a daily basis to search for work or a better life. But the numbers suggest the illegal crossings are more treacherous than in the past as migrants try to circumvent the U.S. government's efforts to stem the flow of illegal immigration, Mexican officials said. More at link Perez said he hoped his trip into the United States would go as smoothly as it did the last time he crossed the border two years ago. He was planning to cross the Rio Grande on the west side of Reynosa across from Anzalduas County Park, south of Mission, he said. Once he made it across, Perez said, he would change into dry clothes and begin his walk north to Corpus Christi - alone. It takes two days and nights of walking with few breaks to make it there, he said. "You just listen for the sound of 281," he said, referring to the U.S. highway that runs from the McAllen metro area north through Alice, passing about 50 miles west of Corpus Christi. The highway noise would help him maintain his direction during the trek. After that, Perez planned to take a bus to Dallas and look for work. U.S. and Mexican officials said immigrants who choose to cross alone face even greater risks than those who travel with others. "If he does have a medical emergency or runs out of water, there's nobody to share with, nobody to call for help," said Doty, the Border Patrol spokesman. Perez left behind four daughters, a son and his wife in Chiapas to make his risky trip north. He plans to send money home when - or if - he finds decent work here, he said. "If you work hard," Perez said, "there are no problems." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthSideSox72 Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 I've backpacked in the country near the border. The Malpais Borderlands area, SW NM and SE AZ. Its rough terrain, there is very little water, and it can be slow going. With a motivated, well-equiped group, it takes upwards of a week to a week and a half to get from the border to I-10. These guys have to also travese similar distance on the other side, and they are not at all well equipped. I am not at all surprised that there are so many fatalities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsideirish71 Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 They should stay safe, and stay home in Mexico. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted March 1, 2009 Author Share Posted March 1, 2009 QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 1, 2009 -> 03:09 PM) I've backpacked in the country near the border. The Malpais Borderlands area, SW NM and SE AZ. Its rough terrain, there is very little water, and it can be slow going. With a motivated, well-equiped group, it takes upwards of a week to a week and a half to get from the border to I-10. These guys have to also travese similar distance on the other side, and they are not at all well equipped. I am not at all surprised that there are so many fatalities. McAllen to Corpus in 2 days is hauling ass. Talk about fastpacking with light gear. Much like the underground railroad helped escaping slaves, there are ranches and homes where travelers can find food and water. I can almost hear the echos of Ronald Reagan standing at our border and yelling "Tear down your wall!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 (edited) In other news, the government is also releasing large jaguars near the border to help with the illegal immigrant problem Edited March 1, 2009 by kyyle23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted March 1, 2009 Author Share Posted March 1, 2009 QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Mar 1, 2009 -> 04:16 PM) In other news, the government is also releasing large jaguars near the border to help with the illegal immigrant problem Way cool. The closest I have been to a big cat was at Big Bend a few years back. It was on the other side of a notch as we were backpacking. One of the Scouts spotted it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 QUOTE (Texsox @ Mar 1, 2009 -> 05:01 PM) Way cool. The closest I have been to a big cat was at Big Bend a few years back. It was on the other side of a notch as we were backpacking. One of the Scouts spotted it. A Mountain Lion or a Jaguar? If it was a Jaguar, according to this article you guys saw something unbelievably rare Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthSideSox72 Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 QUOTE (Texsox @ Mar 1, 2009 -> 05:01 PM) Way cool. The closest I have been to a big cat was at Big Bend a few years back. It was on the other side of a notch as we were backpacking. One of the Scouts spotted it. QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Mar 1, 2009 -> 05:16 PM) A Mountain Lion or a Jaguar? If it was a Jaguar, according to this article you guys saw something unbelievably rare In Big Bend, I'd think it was a mountain lion. Those jaguar, as far as I know, are only in the Malpai region (SE AZ, SW NM), and even there are very, very rare. I think I posted my story here a while back, near (but not quite) encounter with a big cat, in that region. Its an interested bad effect of putting in a physical (as opposed to virtual) wall though, that jaguar population would be cut off and probably die off. That Malpai region is an ecological goldmine, with more species of mammal than anywhere else in the US. If you put in a big wall, the damage to the ecosystem will be huge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosMediasBlancas Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Mar 1, 2009 -> 03:52 PM) They should stay safe, and stay home in Mexico. Goes to show how desperate the situation is there. Pretty soon you'll be hearing about people killing their familes and themselves, oh, wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostfan Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 QUOTE (LosMediasBlancas @ Mar 1, 2009 -> 06:22 PM) Goes to show how desperate the situation is there. Pretty soon you'll be hearing about people killing their familes and themselves, oh, wait. The drug cartel violence down there is unreal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 QUOTE (lostfan @ Mar 1, 2009 -> 03:31 PM) The drug cartel violence down there is unreal. Read earlier this week that last year the head of the ATF said that something like 80-90% of the guns being used in that drug war were coming across the border the other way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostfan Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 1, 2009 -> 06:44 PM) Read earlier this week that last year the head of the ATF said that something like 80-90% of the guns being used in that drug war were coming across the border the other way. Yeah, I read the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthSideSox72 Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 1, 2009 -> 05:44 PM) Read earlier this week that last year the head of the ATF said that something like 80-90% of the guns being used in that drug war were coming across the border the other way. I can share a personal story along this line. In 2002, we were hiking the anchor leg of the Continental Divide Trail - the part of it that starts at the Mexican border, in the "bootheel" of New Mexico. We spent a week hiking through mountains and desert, not seeing another human being, except once... about 2 days in, we were hiking a poorly kept dirt road, after emerging from the Big Hatchet mountains. Just before dusk, we spot a vehcile coming down the road (towards the border, and us). This beat up Suburban eventually meets us, on this nearly unused road, near dusk, going away from civilization. There are two guys in the Suburban, no back seats, but something piled up in the back area (couldn't make out what). They stop to talk with us, and an uncomfortable conversation ensues, that goes something like this: Dudes: "Hey there. What are you guys up to?" Us: "Hiking the divide trail, just makin' our way north" Dudes: "Oh, yeah, pretty country, huh? We're just checking out real estate" Us: "I see. Well, we better get going." Dudes: "Getting late. Where you guys planning to camp tonight?" Us: "Oh, not sure, somewhere that way." Dudes: "We'll look for ya on the way back" Us: "Um, OK." We hiked a bit further north along the road, took a left across country and found a valley you couldn't see from the road. We tried to obscure our footprints where we left the road as well, and crossed a couple washes with a zag. No way in hell we wanted to see them again. I don't know what they were doing, but, there is absolutely nothing down that road but the border, some mountains and desert. And the land is all part of a couple huge ranches, or BLM property, nothing for sale. This was why we had the debate before going about whether or not to go armed on that trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 1, 2009 -> 04:03 PM) We hiked a bit further north along the road, took a left across country and found a valley you couldn't see from the road. We tried to obscure our footprints where we left the road as well, and crossed a couple washes with a zag. No way in hell we wanted to see them again. I don't know what they were doing, but, there is absolutely nothing down that road but the border, some mountains and desert. And the land is all part of a couple huge ranches, or BLM property, nothing for sale. This was why we had the debate before going about whether or not to go armed on that trip. Not sure how much you're watching things lately, but I'm not sure the coyotes from even 2 years ago scares me nearly as much as the war going on there now. The money motivating those guys was a lot less than what's driving this war, these guys are VASTLY better armed, and they're much more brutal. We typically take a field trip down to central Baja once a year, and we hang out near the border on some other routes. Last year was the first year we went, um, prepared (everything legal, no guns - we do cross mexican military checkpoints), and frankly, I'm not sure I really want to go if it runs this year. FWIW, 60 minutes just repeated the "90% of the guns in the Mexican war, including the heavy weapons, are coming across the U.S. border" statement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 1, 2009 -> 05:21 PM) In Big Bend, I'd think it was a mountain lion. It was. I said big cat, I should have been clearer. Before I leave the border area I would love to see a Jagurundi or Ocelot. I've been on a couple observations with US Fish and Wildlife, but never have seen one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 1, 2009 -> 06:03 PM) No way in hell we wanted to see them again. About how I feel about some of the border watchers I meet. They can not understand that the river is a recreation area for people that live here. More than once I've watched them fidget and I get real nervous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 QUOTE (Texsox @ Mar 1, 2009 -> 10:19 PM) About how I feel about some of the border watchers I meet. They can not understand that the river is a recreation area for people that live here. More than once I've watched them fidget and I get real nervous. If the illegal immigration and drug trades that are happening in their front yards weren't happening, I kinda doubt they would be as worried about the recreational stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangeSox Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 (edited) Tex, Have you ever read "The Devil's Highway"? I think you might enjoy that book (I'm not sure enjoy is the right word to use). Edited March 2, 2009 by StrangeSox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 2, 2009 -> 07:22 AM) If the illegal immigration and drug trades that are happening in their front yards weren't happening, I kinda doubt they would be as worried about the recreational stuff. They should be at O'Hare to stop the drug trade. The tons and tons of drugs that America is addicted to are not carried across the border on people's backs. They are shipped in via truck and plane. Echos of Reagan "Tear down this wall!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Mar 2, 2009 -> 08:20 AM) Tex, Have you ever read "The Devil's Highway"? I think you might enjoy that book (I'm not sure enjoy is the right word to use). Is that the book by Urrea about the group that was crossing in Arizona? It is on my list of books to read, but so far I just have not found the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangeSox Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 QUOTE (Texsox @ Mar 2, 2009 -> 09:37 AM) Is that the book by Urrea about the group that was crossing in Arizona? It is on my list of books to read, but so far I just have not found the time. Yeah. My girlfriend took a border lit class from him at UIC and she really enjoyed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Mar 2, 2009 -> 09:41 AM) Yeah. My girlfriend took a border lit class from him at UIC and she really enjoyed it. Last year I read Chaos, I believe that was the title, written by a local Sociology Professor here that rode with the Border Patrol for a couple years. Pretty cool, I knew, and had visited, almost every spot he mentioned in the book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 QUOTE (Texsox @ Mar 2, 2009 -> 09:35 AM) They should be at O'Hare to stop the drug trade. The tons and tons of drugs that America is addicted to are not carried across the border on people's backs. They are shipped in via truck and plane. Echos of Reagan "Tear down this wall!" How about the illegals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 2, 2009 -> 08:30 AM) How about the illegals? If it was all coming through U.S. airports or U.S. ports, there wouldn't be a guerrilla war on the other side of the U.S. border to control the drug trafficking routes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 2, 2009 -> 11:23 AM) If it was all coming through U.S. airports or U.S. ports, there wouldn't be a guerrilla war on the other side of the U.S. border to control the drug trafficking routes. My point is, they are not carrying that much stuff. They are flying it in via private planes, hidden in legitimate cargo, trucks, etc. It is not being carried, forty pounds at a time, via human power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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