Illegal Traffickers Destroy the Wilderness
To the editor:
I attended a forum sponsored by the National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers in Las Cruces on May 11. Presenters reported that wilderness areas within 25 miles of the US-Mexico border are being environmentally degraded by the 'crime corridors' established by illegal traffic of drugs and humans. These areas of natural beauty are becoming littered with trash, dead and mutilated bodies, and 'rape trees.'
Congress has not acted and there seems to be a turf war going on between the US Department of the Interior and the Department of Homeland Security. The DOI is CHARGING the DHS to conduct border patrol operations in designated wilderness areas! $10 million since 2007 and another $50 million was pledged in 2009 for 'mitigation funds.' (The DOI claims the patrols cause environmental damage.) In the meantime, nearly 115 TONS of refuse due to illegal traffic was removed from AZ wilderness areas in 2008 alone (statistics from the AZ BLM).
I'm all for wilderness areas, but the definition of 'Federally Protected Lands' needs to be expanded to include protection of American citizens from these illegal traffickers. And the DOI and DHS need to get their collective act together and start cooperating to accomplish that.
The protection Arizona hikers have now consists of warning signs like this one posted in the Coronado National Memorial in southeastern Arizona:
"WARNING—Smuggling and/or illegal entry is common in this area due to the proximity of the international border. Please be aware of your surroundings at all times and do not travel alone in remote areas.” [Small print: “Report suspicious persons and/or activities to the National Park Service. Dial 1-800-637-9152”] Do you feel safer now?
Ellen Wedum
19 Bigfoot Road/PO Box 1086
Cloudcroft, NM 88317-1086
575-682-2464Published as “Illegal traffickers destroy the wilderness” – Alamogordo Daily News 5-18-10
Published as “Agency turf war breaks out at the border” - Ruidoso News 5-20-10
Published as “Illegal traffickers destroy wilderness” – RDR 5-22-10