Drunk Driver? No, Trafficker

Illustrative Details From Highway 90 Bust

One thing that has been underreported in the ongoing border crisis is the difficulty in identifying and prosecuting the “Coyotes” or traffickers involved in transporting illegal aliens.

In the old days, Border Patrol and Law Enforcement Officers would simply charge whoever in the group had the biggest wad of cash on him. Now, traffickers are carrying smartphones and cash apps like Venmo and others and are being paid electronically. Scared illegal aliens will not identify them either, for fear of cartel retaliation.

Identifying a trafficker now requires somehow catching them in the act, or in certain circumstances that make their status plain.

Suspected Trafficker Captured in Kinney County

This picture was taken roughly one week ago, near a ranch on Highway 90, close to the Kinney - Uvalde County line. We are told the suspected trafficker is a U.S. Citizen and that once he realized he was going to be taken to jail, started making threats against the life of the ranch caretaker— suggesting Cartel representatives would be paying him a visit soon.

The story begins with a poorly driven vehicle on the highway. DPS troopers thought perhaps the driver was drunk and began attempting to pull him over. It became a somewhat low-speed pursuit, with the driver staying on the highway. He may’ve been looking for the right spot to pull over and run for it, because that’s what he did— hiking a fence and eluding troopers in the dark and thorny brush.

Troopers gave up their pursuit and went back into service. Meanwhile, the ranch caretaker spotted the suspect on his game cameras and called for help. One hesitates to explain exactly how— but the Caretaker was able to predict where the suspect would be in the next 15-to-30 minutes and was able to direct personnel to the location on the property where the suspect was captured— roughly 100 yards off the road. Presumably the suspect was waiting for someone to pick him up.

See some of our past coverage of how game cameras are being used on area ranches below:

Strange Days, Strange Photos

After a pair of conversations with a friendly trooper, and a less friendly trooper, Authorities say the man was apparently scarfing pizza while going down the road which is why he was swerving.

“The guy was carb-loading,” was the reaction from one local wit. He’s actually not far off. Once a savvy trafficker is under a load of illegal aliens there is no stopping for food. They drive as long as they have to in order to get where they’re going, delays only increase the odds of complications. So, someone in that position will learn to eat all they can while they can, because there’s no time for hunger once they’re engaged.

The other clue the suspect is a trafficker lies in where he was busted, and what he was wearing. Gloves are visible in the photo— not shown are his clear safety glasses. That gear, along with the long sleeves and work boots is meant to mitigate thorns, brambles, and other hostile vegetation that can take an eye or poke a hole in the hand while traveling off road.

Because they have the suspect on trespassing charges, authorities will have time to link him to the bailout via fingerprints and other measures. The Cavalry - Dispatch hasn’t been told what else was in the vehicle to lend credence to accusations of smuggling, but one can presume there was plenty of bottled water and other circumstantial clues.

Patrol Boats on the Rio Grande

One other thing that has caught our interest— word that DPS has its own patrol boat capability on the Rio Grande. The boats are monsters, carrying an assortment of heavy .50 caliber machine guns, powerful engines, and thick steel armor plating.

By way of comparison, .50 caliber machine guns are what were typically mounted on aircraft during World War II— they fire big, heavy bullets with lots of powder in the cartridge. They’re basically right up against the line between machine guns and light cannons.

DPS River Patrol Boat Image Courtesy: DPS

Border Patrol usually makes use of smaller craft, and report frequently being shot at by smugglers and cartel members on the riverbank. Generally speaking, it’s unlikely they’re shooting to kill. The cartel knows that Border Patrol will retreat. That their boats are not made for being shot at, and that they have orders to pull out. It makes it simple for the cartel to make-safe their operations.

So far, there have been no reports of people shooting at the DPS patrol boats.

Thanks for reading. We hope it’s been informative or at least entertaining. We’ll see you again, some morning soon. Expect a report in the next few days, touching on new, record breaking numbers of trespassing arrests in Kinney County, and some ongoing analysis as to why such a small, isolated area is generating such numbers.