On the border, Big Brother's bullets and drugs

By Brenda Norrell

Censored News

On the Border -- With more US government dollars flowing into Mexico, supposedly to fight the war on drugs, more Indigenous Peoples and human rights activists are being arrested and targeted with US-issued bullets. Read more about police opening fire on Indigenous Peoples with US issued bullets, and the arrests of human rights activists, at Narco News.
The narco trafficking, cartel battles and bloodbaths prevalent in Tijuana and along the South Texas border are now in Nogales, Sonora, across the border from Nogales, Arizona, and south of Tucson. Michel Marizco reports on the violence at Border Reporter.

While the violence increases, people who live along the border question the United States role in the violence and crimes, including the massive seizures of land by corporations after the passage of NAFTA that has displaced Indigenous Peoples. This has forced Indians to flee on foot to the north for survival. Many have died on the border in the desert.

One of those regions with the highest death rate is the Tohono O'odham Nation, where some O'odham are struggling to halt the tragedies. However, O'odham human rights activists are not supported by the elected Tohono O'odham officials.

The O'odham struggling to carry out the Himdaag, O'odham sacred way of life, want to stop the deaths and halt the border wall, which is a barrier to passage on the annual ceremonial route.

The construction of the border wall has violated all federal laws created to protect Native American remains, cultural items and the environment. During construction of the border wall on Tohono O'odham land, O'odham ancestors were dug up by the contractor Boeing and cultural remains looted and destroyed.

The Tohono O'odham struggling to protect human rights and human decency include Mike Wilson, who puts out water for migrants; Ofelia Rivas, founder of the O'odham Voice against the Wall and Mike Flores, organizer of the Indigenous Peoples Border Summit of the Americas in 2006 and 2007. Angelita Reino Ramon and Irvin Ramon are struggling for justice after their 18-year-old son, Bennett Patricio, Jr., was ran over and killed by the US Border Patrol. Many other O'odham living along the US/Mexico border work quietly to render aid and serve the people.

Tohono O'odham are increasingly held at gunpoint by border agents and tribal police on bogus allegations and harassed as they travel in their homeland.

Meanwhile, so many military recruiters, cops, prison guards and Airforce pilots were eager to smuggle cocaine from the border at Nogales, north to Tucson and Phoenix, that the FBI had to shut down "Operation Lively Green."

Soldiers in the Army, Marines, National Guard and AirForce smuggled cocaine. They wore their uniforms during the drug operations. More than 50 have been sentenced, including a military recruiter at a Tucson high school. Soldiers stationed in Oklahoma were caught in a similar major drug smuggling operation from the border north.

There would have likely been more arrests of various border agents, but the other border agencies were involved in carrying out the sting operation.

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Photos: Ofelia Rivas, Tohono O'odham founder of O'odham Voice against the Wall, at the border wall south of Sells, Arizona, on Tohono O'odham land. Photo Brenda Norrell. Arizona border wall with deer halted by Daniel Patterson, published with permission. Map: Please double click to enlarge. The O'odham's homeland in Mexico is shown south of the border.