Armed August incursion into U.S. by Mexican soldiers is confirmed

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner W. Ralph Basham has concluded that Mexican soldiers bypassed a barbed-wire fence and other clearly visible barriers, crossed into the United States and held a U.S. Border Patrol agent at gunpoint in August.

Basham told the Tucson unit of the Border Patrol Officers union that the August 3 incursion was a “potential lethal encounter involving four Mexican armed military soldiers north of the international boundary." The U.S. State Department and the Mexican government had earlier claimed that the soldiers were simply lost.

The tactics used against the agent, Basham said, were "unacceptable.” He said the matter has been sent to the State Department "with a request for diplomatic action."

The Border Patrol agent was detained at gunpoint for several minutes by members of the Mexican military who crossed the border into Arizona about 85 miles southwest of Tucson. The soldiers returned to Mexico without incident when backup agents responded to assist. Local union President Edward "Bud" Tuffly II said "Had the agent panicked and fired a shot or attempted to flee in his vehicle, there is little doubt the Mexican soldiers would have opened fire."

Tuffly had earlier sent a letter to President Bush about the incident, stating "It is disgraceful that Border Patrol agents are put in harm's way and our government doesn't do everything reasonably within its power to protect us from marauding Mexican soldiers and others."