tucsoncitizen.com
In the sprawling ranch land just north of the Arizona-Sonora border, teams of men outfitted in camouflage and armed with rifles are camped out round-the-clock, waiting for an illegal immigrant or drug smuggler to cross the line.
The men are not U.S. Border Patrol agents.
They are a loose-knit band of civilians - reserve police officers, sheriff's deputies, a former Navy SEAL - who are the brawn behind the organization Ranch Rescue, a controversial movement to protect private land in Arizona.
The armed citizen patrol, which originated in Texas, is staking out the Arizona border in hopes of sending a message to the U.S. government, said Jack Foote, spokesman for Ranch Rescue: Take care of the border or we'll take care of it ourselves.
Ranch Rescue is the second anti-immigration organization to take root in the state this year.
The American Border Patrol, spearheaded by California transplant Glenn Spencer, has set up headquarters in Sierra Vista to document the wave of humanity crossing the border illegally.
The American Border Patrol records citizen reports of illegal crossings and puts video footage and photos of crossers on its Web site, Spencer said. The idea is to seek out ranch owners and homeowners who report "suspected border intrusions," he said.
Posted by Suzanne at October 28, 2002