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BORDER NEWS
The Border Patrol has been banned from a ranch in southern Texas.  The ranch is owned by a charitable foundation, which recently voted to ban the Border Patrol from its property.  The vote came after two undocumented immigrants were run over by Border Patrol vehicles on the ranch.  Because federal law gives the Border Patrol the right to enter any property within 25 miles of the border, the move may jeopardize the foundation’s ownership of the ranch. That is because the Border Patrol can seize the land if they are not allowed access.  According to the Border Patrol, each month between 1,800 and 2,200 arrests are made on the ranch. 
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The Border Patrol has finally hit on a way to help its slumping recruiting efforts – TV advertisements.  For many months now, the strong economy has forced the INS to develop new ways to encourage people to sign up for the Border Patrol, including generous signing bonuses, but few things worked.  Last year, for example, the agency fell more than 600 people short of the congressionally mandated 1000 new agents it was to hire.  Some criticize the ads, however, saying that they make the job look like something it is not.  According to Ron Sanders, who was once head of the Tucson Sector of the Border Patrol, part of the reason for the hiring troubles is the new border strategy that has agents sit in vehicles and wait for something to happen, while the ads show the more action-oriented aspects that are not a primary part of the job. 
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The US Coast Guard recently intercepted a fishing boat off the coast of Ecuador that they believe was trying to smuggle about 250 Ecuadorians into the US.  The people were turned over to the Ecuadorian navy.  Officials believe the journey had just started, as all of the people on board were still in good physical health.  Ecuador is currently experiencing its worst economic conditions in decades. 
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A stolen pickup truck carrying 22 people suspected to be undocumented immigrants crashed in California just north of the Mexican border, killing three and injuring all but one of the other passengers.  According to the California Highway Patrol, the driver lost control of the truck, which then flipped. 
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Last week, we reported on a shooting incident involving agents in the Border Patrol and members of the Mexican army.  Now it seems that the Border Patrol is more concerned about the incident than was first apparent.  According to representatives of the union that represents Border Patrol agents, the incident may have been part of the ongoing war on drugs.  They say that one of the largest drug gangs in Mexico has placed a 0,000 bounty on all US law enforcement officers and that Mexican army members may have been trying to collect.  
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An increasing number of Eastern Europeans have been apprehended attempting to cross the border with Mexico in recent months.  According to Border Patrol spokesmen, one of the primary causes for this new trend is new eased Mexican immigration policies for Eastern European countries.