Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (AZ)
Border Shooting Incident
On December 30, a Border Patrol agent requested immediate assistance
when he saw Mexican officers exchanging gunfire with the occupants of
two vehicles that they were pursuing just west of the Lukeville port of
entry. One of the vehicles, a blue truck, became disabled near the
border, and the three people within - all heavily armed - fled on foot
into a thickly-wooded wash inside the U.S. Rangers and agents pursued
the second vehicle, a silver Dodge Durango, westward onto South Puerto
Blanco Drive for two miles before it reentered Mexico onto Highway 2. A
perimeter was established to contain the three armed men. A Customs
Blackhawk helicopter and a Border Patrol special response team were
brought in and a search for the men was begun. One of them returned to
Mexico and was captured by Mexican officers. An AK-47 was found near the
spot where he was apprehended. A second man, M.G.R.-B.,
30, was taken into custody by the Border Patrol and
later turned over to Mexican authorities. The third man was tracked
north for about two miles before his trail was lost. All three are
reportedly linked to the smuggling organization responsible for the
death of ranger Kris Eggle.
[Submitted by Bo Stone, Park Ranger]
Everglades National Park (FL)
Concession Boat Sinks; No Injuries
A concessioner tour boat sank on Monday, December 30. There were 34
people on board, but no one was injured. The tour boat leaves Everglades
City for tours of the park. The Coast guard is on-site to conduct
salvage operations, and NTSB is investigating.
[Submitted by Dave
Barna, Chief, Office of Communications, WASO]
Big Bend National Park (TX)
Drug Seizures and Arrests
Rangers and Border Patrol agents combined efforts led to the seizure
of 1,023 pounds of marijuana, three arrests and the seizure of two
vehicles just before Christmas. On the morning of December 23, the
Border Patrol notified the park that a white Oldsmobile known to be
associated with a drug smuggling group had been seen heading southbound
toward the park. A ranger spotted the Oldsmobile driving east on River
Road near a known border crossing area. The vehicle was being followed
by a Ford pickup truck, and it was evident that both vehicles were
equipped with two-way radios. Rangers continued to shadow the vehicles
as they traveled north through the park. At Panther Junction, they split
up, with the Oldsmobile headed west and the truck heading north. A
ranger in an unmarked vehicle continued to follow the pickup out of the
park. Prior to reaching a Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway 385, the
truck abruptly turned off the highway into a labyrinth of private ranch
roads leading northwest around the checkpoint. Border Patrol agents,
assisted by a helicopter, were able to seal the exits on the north end
of the ranch and stop the truck. Without this combined enforcement
effort, the driver of the truck would have been able to circumvent the
checkpoint and escape. A total of 420 bundles of marijuana were
discovered in the rear of the extended cab and a tool box in the bed of
the truck. Both occupants were arrested without incident. The driver of
the white Oldsmobile was detained at the Highway 118 checkpoint. He
denied any knowledge of the smuggling operation, even though the Ford
pickup was registered to him and the two-way radio in his vehicle was
tuned to the same frequency as the radio in the pickup truck. All those
arrested had prior criminal histories.
[Submitted by Mark Spier, Law
Enforcement Specialist]
Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found on the left side of the front page of InsideNPS. All reports should be submitted via email to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with a copy to your regional office and a copy to Dennis Burnett in Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO.
Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.