I saw this article about hanging mannequins from roadside billboard signs, along with the spray painted phrase "silver or lead".

We know cartels have been operating in a covert, military style manner on US soil for at least 10 years and I'm sure for much longer that.

I recall when I graduated college in 2004 how an NPS LE ranger was murdered in Organ Pipe Cactus National Park a few years prior. The park was shut down to the public for some time.

It is no secret that cartels on the northern and southern border set up LP/OP's and utlilize digitally encrypted radios, night vision and other high tech gear to monitor Border Patrol, CBP, federal land management agencies, locals, etc.

I guess that Texas couple was murdered on US soil, presumably by cartel members.

Has anyone seen this much of an overt cartel threats to LE and cartel operation on US soil? I think it is a sign of scary times ahead.

Threatening cartel billboards warning police to choose 'silver over lead' come complete with hanging mannequins appearing in Texas | Mail Online

It'd be interest to hear from members on the s/w border how they feel about personal security, etc.

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Cheers, Charles
SWCA #2442

I know a judge who had the "silver or lead" message left on the front door of his house. Could have been a prank, but it appeared to be the real deal. Fortunately, nothing ever came of it.

I live in El Paso, and saw this in the morning paper. I keep my guns well oiled and I practice. El Paso has negligable crime; the police are patting themselves on the back for this, but I think a more likely explanation is that the guys on the other side of the river have told the gang members here 'plata o plombo'; keep things quiet so we can get our drugs across easier. Interstate 10 runs only a mile or so north of one of the border crossings here, and once an 18 wheeler full of it gets on the interstate they can go east or west with only one border checkpoint to cross in either direction. In Arizona, if they can get their stuff on the interstate, they're beyond the checkpoints, and the whole country is open to them; no wonder Arizona has so much activity.

I worked narcotics in Calexico and El Centro California...the bad guys had plenty of military gear. I remember a truck load coming across and the outriders had NVGs and AK-47's directing the load.

Here in New Mexico we have more border with Mexico than does California. Things are going to get interesting.

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No good deed goes unpunished.

Why is it so hard to enforce the border restrictions.....I went to FLETC and always marveled at the training schedule of Border Patrol Agents. Now it seems we have little or no control at the border...What is going on? Why? Where is Bill Jordon and those legendary lawmen that came from the border area's?......I hear about all the intrusions by drug traffickers on US soil...So bad that some Federally owned Parks are off limits to WHO? Americans.......Sounds like to me SOMEBODY has their priorities out of whack...Now I hear thousands of illegals are being released from our detention facilities...Who in HECK is in charge, and when have we become so timid we can't enforce our own federal borders? Yet we can spend all that money and man power to enforce some questionable federal regulations on a rancher. A US citizen....I'm not making a judgement on his case, but we can go to all that trouble over disputed land and then close our own parks because we can't enforce our immigration and border laws......Somebody isn't ding their job, sounds to me....I'll tell you the contradictions by our justice department are getting a way out of whack..We can't get a confused war vet back, but we can bring back a known drug trafficker to testify against two Border Patrolmen.......This is getting ridiculous ....What happened to "Don't Tread on Me" Kerry is in Mexico City and can't get an accommodation for the Marine, if that is the case we sure have become wimps.....Close the Border for one week and see how the Federal government in Mexico City explains that...

From my point of view it was a marketing ploy by a film company with plans to produce a movie by that name or possibly from those who produce the show, The Brdge which is partly filmed here. The reason I think this is the Cartels don't want to see the border here in El Paso lined with the 30,000 troops from Ft. Bliss, their armor and attack helicopters running missions on the border. Bad for their business. Plus the fols in his city are armed to the teeth.

Discussing the problems with our southern border and U.S. immigration policy is getting into verboten territory for this forum.

its sad we cant protect our own land and U.S. citizens . they even have signs telling us it might be dangerous to camp in certain areas and state lands

I believe your assessment is correct. Cartels don't want to attract any more attention to themselves (north of the border) than necessary. And killing a LEO (in the US) is simply bad for business. The American public doesn't get to excited about anything that goes on in Mexico, or smuggling through the border, but start killing US LEOs and the gloves come off. Again, that would be bad for business.

Sorry, but I have to disagree LadyT


I live SE of San Antonio and not SW. I-35 goes from San Antonio to Laredo, 120 miles away. I know we have had some cases of cartel problems in San Antonio and expect more. The cartel is getting more brazen because of our laws and inability to stem their violence. I fully expect the violence to head this way and move eastward along the coast as well as inland.

El Paso, along the border and southward. Already seeing it in Del Rio, Eagle Pass and others.

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Slim, U.S. Army, Ret.

What we need are-men like Sheriff Joe Arpaio to lead the charge. Things will get done then.

They have reared their ugly heads here in Corpus a long time ago too.

Folks, I'm sorry. I just can't understand why sheeple keep sticking their heads in the sand and ignoring what is happing around them.

Down here in south Texas and west Texas, we have watched it for years. The liberals want us to turn the away and ignore it cuz it will just go away. Or maybe it's a new movie or they don't take drugs and won't affect them. Or what ever.

Sheeple......WAKE UP

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Slim, U.S. Army, Ret.

We are getting very close to forbidden topics here. I would strongly advise not to mention any political party or candidate.

That being said, my solution would be to move military bases close to the border. They can do live fire exercises - day and night. I would be good training for our soilders.

I dont understand that thinking either. I KNOW some folks cant be THAT uneducated.

They actually did have Marines along the border on night exercises around 15 years ago BUT--there was a shooting incident (not provoked by the Marines) of a teenage hispanic boy who KNEW what he was doing when he snuck out of his parents home armed with a rifle. He was fully intent on doing something stupid and paid for it with his life. To make a long story shore-he confronted a few Marines and threatened them withhis rifle-refused to obey orders-aimed his rifle and was rightfully so--shot by a Marine. His parents tried a major lawsuit--but it failed since the only one at fault-was the teenager. They allegedly did away with the training around that time-but im NOT in the know so dont know the full story.

It has nothing to do with a person's education, Ringo. It's all about their common sense.

It's politically expedient to ignore the problem, irrespective of who is running the show. Going to war with a cartel is akin to going to war with Mexico, and the resultant backwash of political correct nonsense would be extremely unpopular. The cartels that work the border area are billion dollar, for profit businesses, ones that can afford the best equipment while ignoring the value of human life. We're going to compete with an adversary like that without full military commitment? Unless we have leadership that is willing to go all in and break the cartel, the problem will continue escalating further into our own backyard, with nary more than tough talking lip service paid to the problem.

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I'm with the banned ...

Hi OFT, thats exactly what I meant but, didnt want to irk anyone saying so.:-))

Places like: Roma, Texas--are cartel ran--I knew two girlsfrom there who attended TSTI in harlingen when I was going there. Those two had rich Uncles who bought them brand new cars (with drug money of course) and one week after one just starte College-she totalled her new car--which wasone that was worth about $50,000--and it was repaced about a wek later. Anyway, Roma is definitely NOT a place to vacation in.

Well they have arrested the person who vandalized the billboards mentioned by the OP. Here is the ling to the story.

Las Vegas man arrested in connection with threatening billboard graffiti - El Paso Times

Please,don't you people proof read your input before posting. Ke-rist I'm not talking minor spellings or verb tenses but when I have to sit here and decipher what was posted and I'm still not sure what was meant, well, I'm at a loss. Please people ,read what you're saying before punching the "post a quick reply" button. Nick
Edit: in reply to Mcwsky09, post # 24. Post # 20 might be a starting point.Did you ever have to read old Scottish poems and prose in high school or college? Sometimes these things require translation.
I'M NOT poking fun at educationally challenged people, it is carelessness, "speed", and maybe, a little egotism I wonder about. Nick

Huh. That's a strange twist. Will some of you in south Texas update us when they release why this guy did it? It may not get much national play.

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Proud anachronism

It's not really clear to me, from reading all the posts in this thread just exactly what you are referring to.

Regarding the border, I think we should recall all our troops from overseas and station them along the border. Supply them with some amount of non lethal ammo and instructions to shoot anyone who crosses the border illegally. And when the non lethal ammo runs out then switch to standard ammo.

I am not opposed to immigration or legal border crossings and I have nothing against law abiding citizens of Mexico but irrespective of the true nature of this incident it seems to me that if a national border has any meaning at all then it should be clear that there are legal ways to cross that border.

Sadly they can be and those folks are becoming more and more common everyday

Some improvement I can think of that might help are/ Banning MTV and msnbc Add to that.....a mandatory class on non revisionist history.

How many folks here have ever heard of the Posse Comitatus Act? Google it you will see why we don't enforce our borders with military troops. I think repeal of that act and using our military to enforce the borders would be good training for all troops involved, BUT, you have to repeal an act of the Gov't and you know that NEVER happens. More's the pity. Nick

El Paso is not in South Texas.

Yes I was aware of that so you could call it training rather than active deployment but that would likely mess up their benefits and such. I do think we are militarily involved in many places we should not be but would not go so far as saying we need an isolationist policy because that can also lead to problems and bigger surprises.

My original idea was to let anyone and everyone volunteer for the position.

What's the point of having a border and laws governing that border if you let everyone ignore it. For a country based on the rule of law the "lawyers" (especially the elected type) seem to spend most of their time ignoring and or circumventing those laws while they allow all sorts of criminal activity to go unnoticed and or unpunished.

We're done.. All that can ..should be said has been..

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP