News >> Browse Articles >> Law Enforcement News
Texas Sheriff: Mexican Bandits Entered US Waters
Associated Press
October 01, 2010
ZAPATA, Texas — A Texas sheriff says armed Mexican bandits chased an American boater into U.S. waters after shooting her fleeing husband in the head.
Zapata County Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez also says the bandits probably plucked 30-year-old David Michael Hartley’s body from Falcon Lake after the ambush, or let him sink so no evidence of his death remains.
Hartley and his wife, Tiffany, were riding their personal watercrafts from Mexico toward Texas when about six gunmen approached in two boats. Gonzalez says the ambushers shot Hartley as the couple sped away. His wife wasn’t hurt.
U.S. and Mexican authorities are resuming the search for Hartley’s body Friday.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
grant319
over 2 years ago
1208 Comments
Thank you magjr777 for saying what so many think, but are afraid to say.
magjr777
over 2 years ago
26 Comments
What do you mean by justice, we can't go out and pursue these bad guys or take back or waters. We should just do a report say "sorry we were not there" and just patrol to make the white house tell everyone see we are doing our best blah blah blah.
The bad part is that if our American border warriors fight back hard they get charged with murder or like the Arizona deputy is being scrutinized for being shot. He was shot and they are reveiwing if he really did or not! That is f*$#@d up. We will never win this war with these drug cartel terrorist, cause thats what they are, until someone in the white house has some balls and says enough is enough. We can go into another country to stop terrorist but can't do so in our own back yard where these terrorist are coming into our country. That is just stupid.
ssu459
over 2 years ago
153720 Comments
WHAT!!!Mexicans in American waters??That's a shocker.LOL.
LAWMANTUKES
over 2 years ago
6558 Comments
I don't understand why our Navy isn't running constant patrols to try and blow these type of A$$HOLES out of the water..!!!!@%&^*(#$##!!!!!!!!
LAWMANTUKES
over 2 years ago
6558 Comments
"Bump" AZmeangreen...!!!
DALLASCRANE
over 2 years ago
19386 Comments
Possibly another kidnapping. Tragic and sad that we are not in control of our borders.
AZmeangreen
over 2 years ago
2338 Comments
...2012... 2012... 2012... can't come soon enough. Elect someone who'll uncuff CBP.
Daysend
over 2 years ago
902 Comments
Thats Bullshit, that pisses me off to no end. Shooting at a couple of innocents out on a joy ride? If this was a 1980's movie, there'd be a mullet clad hero out for some watery justice. We dont have any armed, patrol boats on that water?
Aside from being a pizzle, the only reason I could think of bandits shooting at the couple would be because they had come to close to an under-water drug bail shippment. Or had been near witnessing disposal of a body. I bet cadaver dogs go crazy around that water eh? Lets get some enforcement out there.
darsavmo
over 2 years ago
10842 Comments
A daily occurrence in the War Zone called the US-Mexico Border...
CAZ
over 2 years ago
1428 Comments
I wish we had Regan back in office.
Robocop33
over 2 years ago
14380 Comments
Understand that there is Mexico and there is Mexico. It is normally fine to visit Cozumel, Costa Maya, Merida and other areas in the Yucatan and even travel the roads during daylight hours. The native people are vastly different than those who live in these 'Border Towns' along the US/Mx border. The coastal resorts along the Pacific coast are also fairly safe. I would not visit any border town or mess with the interior, especially in the Northern regions. I also still firmly believe that we do need to place armed troops along our border with instructions to stop the invasion of illegal immigrants and other criminals. The smuggling of both humans and drugs and money needs to be stopped and Mexico is not going to do it. It is up the the Federal Government to do their job as directed by the US Constitution and keep our borders safe. Unfortunately our current administration is not interested in what the US Constitution says they can and cannot do, much less what it says the MUST do.
dan206
over 2 years ago
244 Comments
Here's a news article from two counties down the road. From Themonitor.com
CBP: Mexican troops crossed into U.S. territory
Published: Yesterday
PROGRESO — U.S. authorities engaged in an armed standoff Friday after Mexican soldiers crossed the international bridge into the U.S. — an apparent misunderstanding after troops chased a vehicle north of the border, authorities said.
The crossing occurred about 2:45 p.m. Friday, when Mexican troops traveling in three vehicles apparently lost sight of the international boundary line on the Progreso International Bridge and crossed onto the U.S. side of the span, said Felix Garza, a local CBP spokesman.
He didn’t know how far into U.S. territory they had traveled or why.
“At that point we mobilized, and we did what we had to do to secure the facility and to provide safety to the travelling public,” Garza said.
Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño said his office received a call from Progreso police for assistance with an ongoing armed standoff at the international bridge.
“They asked for assistance and said CBP and the Mexican military were having an armed standoff at the bridge and that the bridge was closed,” the sheriff said. “They had some person in custody that the Mexican army had chased into the U.S.”
Despite previous reports of violence, no gunshots were fired, nor were there any injuries, Garza said.
“We met with them, we discussed the issue, and they returned to Mexico,” he said of the Mexican troops.
CBP officials told sheriff’s investigators that federal authorities interrogated at least one U.S. citizen after the incident, though it appeared the man had no ties to criminal activity.
“This is a perfect opportunity to remind U.S. citizens that unless you have emergency business or something dire, stay out of Mexico,” Treviño said.
Sheriff’s deputies, U.S. Border Patrol agents, state troopers and the Progreso Police Department helped CBP officers secure the area Friday afternoon. Several sheriff’s office SWAT teams were ordered to remain in the Progreso area late Friday night.
‘THEY COULDN’T STOP THEM’
An employee at the main parking lot on the U.S. side of the border said she was warned about the incident through a radio she uses to communicate with Mexico’s federal roads and bridges authority, known by its Spanish acronym CAPUFE, which operates the Mexican side of the bridge.
“They just warned us that the Mexican marines had already (passed) them so they were coming toward the U.S.A.,” she said, “and they can’t cross the border line.”
The parking lot employee said CAPUFE told her the Mexican troops were chasing a black truck that was trying to cross into the U.S.
“They couldn’t stop them,” she said.
CBP and Mexican authorities closed both sides of the bridge for about two hours — it reopened about 4:30 p.m., Garza said. Mexican helicopters continued to patrol Nuevo Progreso as of 5 p.m. Friday.
“I saw the helicopters so I didn’t want to go out,” said Nuevo Progreso resident Gerardo Martinez. The 19-year-old said he stayed indoors and did not cross into the U.S. until it was safe.
A Harlingen woman who accompanies her husband to a Nuevo Progreso dentist said she had no idea something happened at the bridge.
“When we crossed (into Mexico) we saw the military and they would stop and look around like they were looking for someone, but that was about it,” she said. “It was very peaceful. Just like a normal day with less people.”
NOT THE FIRST CROSSING
Friday’s incident comes one month after at least two Mexican navy helicopters crossed into the Rio Grande Valley.
CBP reported a Mexican helicopter crossing the border the morning of Sept. 2, followed by similar incident that afternoon.
Mexican military helicopters crossing to the U.S. side of the Rio Grande also garnered headlines in March, when at least two such incidents were reported in Zapata County.
The United States and Mexico have a longstanding agreement allowing each country’s federal aircraft to cross the border for brief periods of time, a CBP official said Sept. 2. The agreement forgives accidental crossings by military pilots and allows Mexican and U.S. authorities to carry out missions in their home countries while surveying in the other nation’s airspace
lkdavis71
over 2 years ago
988 Comments
Bump Robocop33. Our political leaders need to get their heads out of darks places and remember its not about votes... our safety and lives are at stake.
sillystraw06
over 2 years ago
6 Comments
working in law enforcement on the border really gives you an inside look on what's actually going on.
the murder of that man on falcon lake is just one of the six in a matter of two weeks in the Rio Grande Valley. Two were murdered no less than 3 miles away from the harlingen border patrol station.
Whether the State or Feds want to realize it or not, it is getting bad down here.
Every day, aggravated robberies and home invasions occurr.
WE NEED HELP DOWN HERE!!!
MeanStreets949
over 2 years ago
2306 Comments
Mexico is a No-Go zone right now. Anyone who does otherwise puts their lives at risk.