Americans in border towns in New Mexico are leery of reporting crimes and suspicious activities by illegal immigrants because they fear they will be retaliated against by drug cartels, according to a Washington Examiner report.
Seven residents who live within 30 to 50 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border told the paper that calling local or federal law enforcement for help after discovering they have been victims of illegal immigrant crime could lead to “nasty consequences.”
One cattle rancher from Hidalgo County told the Examiner he calls in every crime, but not without punishment from the cartels.
“I turned in 700 pounds [of marijuana] up here … I called it in [to Border Patrol]. They went and got it. That night, they [smugglers] came back. They … broke off all the floats off my troughs — chopped ’em up, drained all of it,” he said.
Another cattle rancher, Cammi Moore in Animas is also concerned about reporting illegal activity.
“You don’t know whether to call them [suspected criminals] or not, if they are packing ’cause there is retaliation on some families,” she said.
The Examiner writes, that Moore then “noted the case of Bob Krentz, a prominent rancher in nearby Cochise County, Ariz., who many believe was murdered by drug cartel members after he left to check on his cattle in 2010 and never returned.”
Hidalgo County commissioner Joel Edwards said resident’s claims of cartel retaliation are “legitimate.”
“I mix and mingle with those folks a lot,” Edwards said. “That’s pretty much a real common feeling out there … I’ve heard it quite a bit in the last few weeks. They’re just scared.”
For the full report, click HERE.
