Militia claims it's set up command center, preparing for military style operation to ‘secure border’
As armed, self-declared “patriots” continue to flock to America’s southern border to attempt to prevent the influx of illegal immigrants, some members of these militias are reportedly preparing for a “military style operation.”
That’s according to journalists at KRGV-TV, who spoke this week with Chris Davis, the commander of the Secure Our Border Laredo Sector group.
Davis declined to be photographed by the network’s cameras, and refused to say how many members his militia has gained. Speaking to the station, however, he insisted his group has come to the United States’ border with Mexico to “assist law enforcement” as immigrants, mostly children, illegally enter the US in record numbers.
"We have patriots all across this country who are willing to sacrifice their time, their monies, even quit their jobs to come down and fight for freedom, liberty and national sovereignty,” Davis told the network.
“We’re here to supplement and be where law enforcement is not and help them support the border,” Davis told the Los Angeles Times on Monday. “There’s nothing malicious, there’s no malicious intent.”
Secure Our Border – Laredo Sector has so far set up a command center in the border town of Van Ormy, Texas, according to KRGV, and is now reportedly preparing for a military-style operation. The federal officials tasked with actually monitoring the borders aren’t thrilled, though, and are asking Davis’ crew and similar self-styled militias to leave homeland security to the professionals.
"Customs and Border Protection 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 consequence," that agency said in a statement sent to the network this week. "CBP appreciates the efforts of concerned citizens as they act as our eyes and ears. Securing our nation's borders can be dangerous. Interdicting narcotics and deterring and apprehending individuals illegally entering the US requires highly trained law enforcement personnel.”
Indeed, the tactics being advocated by Davis aren’t exactly the same ones taught to the Customs and Border Protections agents currently under fire following reports that more than 52,000 unaccompanied children have been apprehended after crossing the Mexican border into the US, according to Customs and Border Patrol. Until last week, Davis’ own YouTube channel contained a video in which he gave fellow militia members instructions on how to handle any illegal immigrants they might encounter.
"You see an illegal. You point your gun dead at him, right between his eyes, and you say, 'Get back across the border or you will be shot,'" Davis said in the clip, which has since been taken offline.
This week, he expressed a much different plan to KRGV. "We're not here to cause discontent or hate in any measure. We are going to treat the innocent immigrants with all due humanitarian respect," he said.
Furthermore, there’s a very real possibility that the armed civilians patrolling the border will make enemies with the drug cartels and other gangs who deal in illegal doings near the international boundary.
“They're going to do everything they can to quell an operation like this,” Davis told KRGV of his group. “The only reason why they don't mess with law enforcement is because it will start an international incident," Davis said.
