Originally intended for publication on Monday August 27, 2012 "The WAR in Texas" in video part 1


THE WAR ALONG A TEXAS RIVER 

The Rio Grande River Border Between Texas and Mexico Uncontrolled It Has Become A Drug Smuggler's Highway

Editorial Note: If you missed "The Weekend Edition"for August  you might want to check out Sunday's posting on this subject.

Contrary to popular belief the Rio Grande is not a narrow stream bed that vacillates between being a dry gulch and a seasonally babbling brook. In the 19th century the river was navigable by steamboat for many miles. Today from the mouth at the Gulf of Mexico to Laredo the river is usually easily navigable by fairly large motorboats in the 20 to 40 foot range. Above Laredo the river is divided into large impoundments like Falcon Lake where large house boats and yachts routinely navigate, or at least they did before drug cartel violence made the river a less desirable vacation destination. Today the State of Texas operates at least two Vietnam style "Swift Boats" on these artificial lakes to suppress violence by the Mexican Zeta Drug Cartel.  

After the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security presented testimony before Congress that the Southwest Border had "never been more secure", the Texas delegation to Congress presented witness after witness to the fact that a "state of war" exists on the Texas side of the Rio Grande and the enemy is organized paramilitary forces of the Mexican ZETA cartel. The Texas Congressional delegation requested the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to produce "a persistent Coast Guard presence on the Rio Grande". The Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard was tasked with the delivery to Congress of a plan for such a "persistent presence" by January 2012. When it had not been delivered by June the Congress pressed the Commandant on the where abouts of the report. Under cross examination like pressure he finally admitted that it was on the desk of the Secretary DHS. 

 Clearly there are two different official opinions about security along the river that divides Texas from Mexico. The view of state and county officals on scene is that a virtual state of war exists. The officials in Washington think the border has never been more secure. In this post we will present videos of recent local news coverage and documentaries made on scene. You already know the Washington position; "The Southwest Border Has Never Been More Secure"

This first video was shot from a law enforcement air craft. The action starts with a car chase on the Texas side of the river. The drug smugglers drive right into the river and are immediately rescued with paramilitary precision by cohorts who cross over in inflatable boats from the Mexican side. If shots had been fired in this instance, U.S. law enforcement authorities would have been firing into Mexican territory. We could not avoid liability for "collateral damage", while the Mexicans, had they fired into U.S. territory, were all criminals and the Mexican national government would not be liable. According to Texas Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez's' testimony before Congress the incident depicted here is fairly common in the Rio Grande Valley and has involved cross border gun fire in the past.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRG7E3thfVo

This next video provides a bit of background on the Zetas, the driving force in the Rio Grande valley problems:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zSz0VazNzQ


The link below provides a graphic look at the methodologies of the Zetas, WARNING GRAPHIC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB57jg48JmY

The video linked here describes the public relations methods of the Zetas as used in Mexico. According to Texas authorities testifying before Congress these methods are also being employed in the Rio Grande Valley, in recent months numerous Federal CBP (Customs and Border Patrol) Agents have been prosecuted for accepting bribes from the Cartels. At least two local Texas Sheriffs as well have been arrested. Questioning of the law enforcement agents caught up these schemes reveal that the "bullet or the bribe" proposition is becoming common in the border Rio Grande Valley counties of Texas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFasg6qI1TY&feature=related 


Here is a FOX TV video in which we hear for the first time of a Texas law enforcement unit being authorized by local authorities to return cross border fire. The reporter also describes an incident similar to the one in our first video presentation and to the one described by Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez of Zapata , Texas before Congress. This singular event, law enforcement use of force rules allowing cross border fire is our main concern over the lack of a Coast Guard presence on the Rio Grande as requested by Congress and the apparent lack of concern by the DHS. Texas, both as a Republic and a State has had to deal with problems of lawlessness from safe havens in Mexico. Texas has never allowed those safe havens for long. This time however if Texas rangers or other state forces cross the river the other side is teeming with Mexican army units as well as Zetas. Given the history between Texas and Mexico vice the overall U.S. Mexican relations we doubt that the Mexican Army would hesitate to fire on Texas Rangers. Additionally since the ZETAS evolved out of the Mexican Army can easily imagine that some Zeta units and Army units look quite similar. We might even see a Texas Ranger on Mexican Army attack in error. Much more needs to be done along the Rio Grande by U..S. Federal Forces starting with the delivery of that "persistant Coast Guard presence"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov_6umepg08


Here is a CNN Take on the ZETAS and their rivals the "MATA ZETAS"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7a1-HXBCAU

Meet Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez of Zapata, Texas. His explanation of why he doesn't use his department's boat on Falcon Lake what he "wants to tell America ", and his description of the violent crime engulfing the Rio Grande Valley is the story in a nut shell:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC4P1s6gkOs

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