'Army' to Patrol Southwest Border?

Newly formed citizen's group threatens suit against Ariz. officials over arrest

August 17, 2003
By Jon Dougherty
© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com

A newly formed citizen's group based in Missouri has threatened to raise an "army" of volunteers to bring to the U.S. southwest border in Arizona in a bid to shut down illegal immigration from Mexico.

At the same time, says Keith French, a spokesman for newly incorporated U.S. Special Service, his organization will sue the Yuma County, Ariz. Sheriff's Office and county attorney's office for what he said was their unlawful arrest of Matthew Hoffman, 23, of Yuma, and Alexander Dumas of California.

According to a report in the Yuma Sun, Hoffman and Dumas have been charged with unlawfully detaining six illegal aliens until Border Patrol agents arrived to pick them up.

The paper said the men intercepted the illegals in Gadsden, Ariz., located southwest of Yuma along the Arizona-Mexico border.

''We have adopted these men,'' French said in an e-mail to county authorities. ''People are allowed to arrest someone they see commit a crime. And entering illegally is a crime.''

Hoffman and Dumas face six counts of aggravated assault, five counts of unlawful imprisonment and one count of conspiracy to commit unlawful imprisonment, said the Sun. But the U.S. Special Service accused the sheriff's department and county prosecutor's office of violating the civil rights of both men for doing what is allowable under the law.

Sheriff Ralph Ogden said in a statement Monday that citizens may assist in the apprehension of persons violating the law. But, he said he wanted to ''warn any individual assuming that responsibility that such arrests must be done in accordance with applicable state and federal laws and that failure to do so may result in their being charged with a violation of the law.''

Detaining anyone against their will, even if they have broken the law, is a violation of the law, Ogden said. Such behavior goes past what is allowable under citizen's arrest procedures.

Hoffman and Dumas, who remain in custody over the Aug. 1 incident, used firearms and handcuffs to detain the illegals, the Arizona Daily Star reported.

The arrests haven't deterred the group. French said in his statement his group was examining federal laws regarding the formation of private citizens' patrol groups when the two men were arrested. In fact, he said the case is an ideal one to announce the U.S. Special Service.

French said his group is negotiating with Yuma county officials to release the men. If not, he hinted the organization would seek alternate means to free the men, the Sun reported.

''Sometimes you've got to fight fire with fire,'' he told the paper. ''They can take that however the hell they want.''

French says plans are underway to travel to Arizona and examine areas for a possible base camp. The Sun said the group most likely would locate its camp near Tucson, which is northeast of Yuma.

French also said his group is likely to patrol both federal land and public property, unlike other groups which largely stick to private property.

''The United States government's land is the people's land,'' French told the paper. ''And we will function on that property.''

Meanwhile, the Daily Star said Mexican officials were demanding an investigation into border groups.

The Star also said French had been in contact with Jack Foote, head of the Texas-based chapter of Ranch Rescue, and Chris Simcox, owner of the Tombstone Tumbleweed newspaper and founder of Civil Homeland Defense.

In a separate interview, French told WorldNetDaily he and ''chief agent'' Bryan Lee, of California, would be leaving ''soon'' for on-site inspections of Yuma and Cochise Counties. But, he added, no date had been set.

''We will then take our information back to the council to discuss both operations,'' he said, which will mean ''physical security patrol agents'' and involve "another 'division' that does not [currently] exist.

French would not divulge the number of volunteer ''agents'' currently involved with the U.S. Special Service, but he said they would be deployed from a base camp, where officials would be in constant contact with members in the field.

Agents in the field will be armed, but French did not say how. They would also carry radios.

Other members will guard the camp and will be armed with rifles and handguns, French said.

''The patrols will patrol, the guards will guard. There's a lot to this,'' he said. ''It will be set up as a camp, the vehicles are marked patrol vehicles, all Special Service Guards and Agents patrolling will be uniformed, and all business conducted in a professional manner.''

In recent months, however, members of so-called citizen's border groups have been under increased scrutiny by local, state and federal officials. Some have been arrested for allegedly improperly detaining illegal immigrants.

As WorldNetDaily reported, Casey Nethercott and Hank Conner, members of the group Ranch Rescue, were arrested in March in Hebbronville, Texas, for allegedly pistol-whipping two illegal aliens they helped detain.

Also, Glenn Spencer, head of American Border Patrol, a group that used electronic means to detect and report illegal alien entry, was arrested earlier this month on charges he improperly discharged a weapon in a residential area near his home in Sierra Vista, Ariz.

When asked if his organization feared they too could be arrested, French was undeterred.

''First and foremost, Special Service has its own regulations, codes, by-laws and laws. All are under the Constitution of the United States. S.S. agents, guards, and officers are not permitted to be arrested,'' he said. ''They will walk the line according to [United States Code] and Special Service, not according to any county, city, or state code that violates the rights given under the 'law of the land,' the U.S. Constitution.''

''Special Service carries a zero tolerance policy and will not permit any branch of government to seize, or likewise take into their custody any S.S. agents, guards or officers,'' he told WorldNetDaily.

''This is considered insurrection against the civil forces of the United States and we will hold those accountable who try.''

He said the group would attempt to work with law enforcement personnel locally, but could not promise full cooperation.

''Harassment at any level will not be tolerated. It is that simple,'' he said.

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