Word has come from the Peck Canyon Corridor of another deadly shooting in Arizona’s borderlands.
This latest episode took the life of Border Patrol agent Brian A. Terry. Details are sketchy as of now, but it appears Terry came upon a group of presumed smugglers at Peck Wells, which is part of Peck Canyon, when the shooting occurred.
The Border Patrol’s public-information office in Tucson confirms that at least four suspects are in custody, and one more is being pursued. A massive manhunt is underway as Border Patrol and other law-enforcement agencies try to apprehend the suspect, believed to be trying to flee into Mexico.
A rancher in the southern part of the Peck Corridor, reached moments ago, tells me that law-enforcement vehicles have been roaring up and down Ruby Road all morning. “The hills around my house are crawling with agents,” he says. “They’re all over the place”
Peck Wells is on Coronado National Forest land about 2 miles west of David and Edith Lowell’s Atascosa Ranch home. The Lowells played a prominent role in my recent Tucson Weekly cover story on the Peck Canyon Corridor.
The piece drew a parallel between the increasing violence in this area north and west of Nogales with what had been happening in the Chiricahua Corridor, above Douglas, prior to the March 27 murder of Rob Krentz.
The killer in that case is still at large. But investigators followed what were believed to be the killer’s tracks into Mexico, and Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever says he has reason to believe the killer was a drug scout.
One of my Chiricahua Corridor articles revolved around Louie Pope, who agreed to tell his story, and allow his name to be used, in spite of the clear danger.
Louie said: “I really expect to get death threats from this, but we have the opportunity to tell an important story about what’s happening out here, and we need to do it before something bad happens.”
Krentz was killed six months later.
About the Peck Corridor, last month’s story said: “Can the violence be stopped before we have another borderlands tragedy involving an American citizen or a lawman?”
Sad to say, we can’t.
The Peck Corridor story reported that there had been at least five shootings on the Lowells’ Atascosa Ranch in the past year.
Three of these were sniper-style shootings in Peck Canyon itself. There was another sniper-style shooting—this of a Border Patrol agent, wounded in the ankle—in Ramanote Canyon in December of 2009. Ramanote Canyon is about 2 miles from Peck Wells.
The story asked the question: Is it safe for American citizens to go onto this public land to hunt, hike and camp?
We got an answer shortly after the story ran, when gunmen menaced a group of quail hunters in the Peck Corridor, the bad guys firing shots over the hunters’ heads as they fled.
And at a citizens’ meeting at Border Patrol HQ in Nogales just last night, rancher Dan Bell told me of an episode that occurred along Ruby Road within the past week.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were chasing smugglers along Ruby Road, the druggies heaving their bales out the back of the truck at the pursuing ICE vehicle.
Janet Napolitano—who keeps telling us the border is just fine, nothing to see here, move along—should be put under hot lights over the Terry killing.
She needs to explain why she thinks it’s safe for American citizens to venture onto this Coronado National Forest land. Would she go there herself? Would she take her family, her dog? Or would she go only with a heavily-armed security detail?
From his ranch headquarters this morning, David Lowell says: “I feel bad about the really lousy job our government is doing—not Border Patrol, but the politicians. If the same Border Patrolman had shot first and killed the (presumed) Mexican that killed him, he’d probably have a ticket to go to prison. It’s a really dumb way to try to protect our southern border.
“The rules of engagement need to be changed,” Lowell continued. “We should do whatever we can to allow the Border Patrol to terrify the Mexican criminals, instead of vice versa.”
Lowell says he spoke this morning with a Border Patrol agent and a friend from the Forest Service.
The agent told him the shooters were likely border bandits, although that is unconfirmed, and we don’t know which side of the line they’re from.
The forest service man told David this might not be a good day to go out working cattle on horseback.
In other words, American citizens have to hunker down, watch their backs, hope for the best.
“Edith and I just had a discussion, and we agreed to keep our doors locked,” says David. “And she might move her shotgun from under the computer table to the top of it.”
We shouldn’t have to keep enduring horrors of this type any time of year, but they’re especially difficult at Christmas. Keep Brian Terry and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
This article appears in Dec 9-15, 2010.
Smugglers jumping the border with our friendly neighbor to the South, armed to the teeth and lacking any respect for US law and human life? Leo, you must be mistaken; we have it on good authority… none other than Nappy Napolitano! …that the border “..is as secure as it’s ever been…”. Surely a high-ranking official of the Barry Hussein Soetoro Regime wouldn’t LIE to the American People, would she? Are you a responsible journalist, or just a member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy who’s out to take down America’s first “post-racial” prez? Obviously, you didn’t bother to clear this story with Gibbs and Axlerod over at the Ministry of Truth or you’d know you’d committed a Thought Crime! Please, turn yourself in for Re-education before it’s too late! Eric Holder will have you in the Politically Correct frame of mind in no time. After suitable shock therapy and administration of the proper brain chemicals, you’ll be qualified to shove the Party Line down the throats of Big Brother’s devoted slaves.
I wonder if President Obama will finally address this murder from the Oval Office?
Or will he attack the Border agents for trying to locate the killer? Like he did the state of
Arizona for trying to halt crime in that state.
Shame on you President Obama!
I don’t understand much of that wacky post but ironically yes, it is as secure “as its ever been in the past” (key part of the phrase there). If you have been here for awhile and paying attention you would know this. As a reminder read this – it was 7 years ago under the previous president, and I knew this man. Where were your regime and big brother rants then?
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20…
Hey porttobacco as long as you spread the blame and shame around to President Bush. Read my last post.
“Before Eggle’s death, Organ Pipes former chief ranger, Dale Thompson, realized that his rangers were outmanned and outgunned by the drug traffickers, with their growing infrastructure of communications and surveillance systems, automatic weapons, and even support from elements in the Mexican police and military. He called for reinforcements, but his requests for more resources got little more than sympathy in Washington. Budgets were frozen, and in the wake of September 11, trained rangers were being siphoned off by other federal law-enforcement agencies, who could pay more.
“Our budget isn’t considered part of homeland defense, so it wasn’t a priority,” Thompson said, as he drove past the 20-foot (6-meter) hole in the border fence that Eggle’s killer drove through. “But how long will it be until someone figures out that you could easily drive a semi-truck with a nuclear device through here?”
Repairs to the existing fence have been an exercise in futility, as mended segments are often torn down within hours. Thompson had concrete barriers installed across popular smuggling routes, but the smugglers either drove around them, damaging more terrain, or cut the cables and towed them aside. “
Arizona Park “Most Dangerous” in U.S.
Tom Clynes
for National Geographic News
January 13, 2003
Should something have been done about this in the past? Hell yes (even though I don’t believe it is safer now than it has ever been). However, this is a current issue and whomever is in charge, Dem or Rep, needs to do something about it. I wouldn’t even think about going for a hike in beautiful Sycamore Canyon right now, even armed. I doubt our gov’t will ever officially acknowledge that there is a border war. They will just keep attempting to downplay the issue and lie to us to make us feel “safe.”
Folks who haven’t figured out that there’s no difference between Republicans and Demonrats had best do so real soon. Bush, Obama, Clinton, et al, are/were puppets of the offshore bankers, the globalist elite,and the vile globalist scum known as the CFR and the Trilateral Commission. Just look at Comerade ObaMao (CFR) and Crappy Nappy (CFR).
Condolences to the agent’s family. Don’t expect vermin like Crappy Nappy and the teleprompter-reading miscreant in the White House to do anything about the porous border. The military should have been down there since the early 1980’s, but this treasonous crew wouldn’t think of keeping drugs and invaders out…. they, with corrupt cretins like Chertoff, are too busy hassling Americans at airports.
My thanks for pointing out that the White House’s prior occupant, El Presidente Jorge Boosh, was also sleeping on the job when it came to border security…in fact he put two BP agents in the federal slammer for busting a drug hauler. Neglect of the Southern Border has been “bi-partisan”..that’s a fancy way of saying the American Public has been screwed from both ends! Boosh’s neglect was criminal. He should be in jail. So should Barry Hussein.
There…did I make myself clear on the issue now, if there had been confusion on portabacco’s part?
I have been volunteering on that border for 5 and 1/2 years now. I average about 50 to 60 days a year in AZ coming from Long Island, NY. BP Intel informed us of mexican illegals organized into “rip off teams” out of Phoenix that comb the desert to steal human and drug smuggling load and will kill anyone they run into. Law enforcement officers have told us to shoot these rip teams before they shoot us. Actual Federal Agents have told us to do this. This is how bad it is. It has nothing to do with tax cuts or some poor slob looking for a job. It has to do with politicians from both parties not having a set of balls to send the troops down to the border and stop this crap. Many more agents and civilians will die before this is over because of these weak politicians.
Thank you Minuteman1 for doing the job the government refuses to do!
I always knew that if Mexicans got a hold of this country by the millions we Americans would be in great trouble!
Their country is and was always a mess because their culture is a damn mess!
Even General Grant when in Mexico couldn’t believe how cruel Mexicans were to their animals.
Little wonder the U.S. didn’t take over Mexico! Who would want it?
They brag about voting in our U.S. elections and brag about taking over the U.S.
without firing a shot. Mexico is a scourge on the U.S. killing our border agents is nothing to them.
The cities they take over no longer look like U.S. cities. Americans leave in droves.
Bullseye,
I never attacked President Bush. Although he needs the blame too.
Minuteman1
You may come out here and play in my back yard, but you are wrong, Thank you for coming out here and helping us with the countries problem. As ruthless as these rip crews are they are still only willing to fight when they have you out numbered. I have chased many of these guys off of hills. They will shoot if they have the tactical advantage if you have the drop on them they run.
This shooting and the last one in the area where ambushes. Louie Puroll in Pinal County was shot by bandits, and so were the two drug runners who were killed in the same pass Louie was two weeks after. And I know for a fact that no LE official is going to tell you just to shoot some one when you know Idea who they just to shoot and kill. I will say that EVERY LE official will tell you to shoot when your live is being threatened.
All four of these shootings were by Bandits and its only going to get worse.
Leo Banks reporting on the Peck Canyon Corridor has been prescient. He is doing the difficult, important reporting that needs to be done. As the Arizona dailies continue to shrink in staff and in relevance, it’s good that the Tucson Weekly has found a way to employ a fine reporter to do this work. Kudos to Banks and to the Weekly,
PortTabacco, “Thank you Minuteman1 for doing the job the government refuses to do!”
Thanking the Minutemen for doing the job that the government won’t do? Are you folks going stark raving nuts? Just what do you think Agent Terry was doing? Try: HIS JOB FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. Bunch of opportunistic wing nuts trying to cash in on an American hero’s death by sounding off on how vital “I average about 50 to 60 days a year in AZ coming from Long Island, NY” is.
Very sad and pathetic bunch commenting here. How about honoring a man who gave his life to his nation instead of the usual bs?
Yes, Kudos to Leo Banks and the Weekly. Thank you for the interesting, and informative articles.