Armed Militias Guard Border Against 'Threat' Of Immigrant Children [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Armed Militias Guard Border Against 'Threat' Of Immigrant Children
The Huffington Post | By Igor Bobic
Posted: 07/29/2014 1:31 pm EDT Updated: 28 minutes ago

Unaffiliated "militia" groups armed with semi-automatic rifles, masks, camouflage and tactical gear have been spotted in the Texas Rio Grande Valley, protecting the U.S.-Mexico border, one can only assume, from the thousands of unaccompanied children who have fled record violence in their home countries in Central America.

Photos published by The San Antonio Express-News on Monday show dozens of members of more than 10 "active" groups walking around campsites, pointing rifles and pistols out of frame, and interacting with U.S. Border Patrol agents. The members' faces were blurred, by request of the group's spokesperson who provided the photos, because of their fear of being identified by "cartel and gang members."

The movement, called Operation Secure Our Border, was formed in response to the recent influx of undocumented immigrants. It includes members from the Three Percenters, Patriots and Oath Keepers, the latter of which was involved with Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy's tense standoff with the Bureau of Land Management earlier this year.

One photo shows a Border Patrol agent providing directions to a vehicle of armed militia members. Officially, however, the U.S. Border Patrol does not "endorse or support any private group or organization from taking matters into their own hands as it could have disastrous personal and public safety consequences," as quoted by The Houston Chronicle.

More:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/29/armed-militias-border-crisis_n_5630763.html