Pinal County, Arizona Sheriff - drug cartels

[Biohazard]

They are in need.

Paypal accepted as well as checks or credit cards.

Link to the story:
The Cartel Corridor « Liveshots

Link to the sheriff's department for donations:
Paul Babeu for Pinal County Sheriff - Contribute

The Cartel Corridor Posted By William La Jeunesse On July 27, 2010 @ 11:22 AM In Border Security | 2 Comments


Pinal County, Arizona Sheriff Paul Babeu is raising money to privately outfit his officers with body armor and more powerful weapons because he and his deputies say they can’t compete with the cartels, especially when it comes to weapons. He even has a website asking for donations. Babeu says the Obama Administration needs to help the state of Arizona, not sue it.


“ I'd like to invite President Obama to come here, to Pinal County, to come here and see this drug and human smuggling corridor, to see for himself, 80 miles, 70 miles, 90 miles deep into our state, into America, what's going on,” says Babeu.


The area north of the Interstate 8 in Pinal County, Arizona is a lay up point in a well-known smuggling corridor. It’s more than 70 miles from the Mexican border and yet, when you look around it’s littered with evidence of human and drug smugglers.


Millions of dollars of cargo come through this valley. In fact, the cartels have lookouts at the high points, so they know when police are coming and they'll stop the load from coming through by radio.

Watch the latest video at FoxNews.com [1]​

"Our normal patrol deputy is out manned and outgunned in the area,” says Deputy Matt Thomas. “They're coming from Mexico with AK-47s, with AR-15- style rifles."


And once they come in, the illegal immigrants hike a short distance to the interstate to be picked up. On their feet they wear “magic shoes”, pieces of carpet to disguise their footprints. Some bring bundles of marijuana to the freeway.


The drugs are then loaded into waiting vans. Deputy Marc Miller recently had a big bust after a high-speed chase.


“In the back seat was a bundle of marijuana and on the floor board where the passenger in the back seat ran from was two fully-loaded AK-47s, two 9 millimeters,” says Miller.

 

[FordMan79]

Here is the one that I found to donate to up their firepower.

BorderSheriffs.com | Defending Those Who Defend Our Borders

 

[JoshuaW]

Eh, Im hesitant to donate. I have no problem with them seeking donations, but I dont think private citizens should have to waste our money. We pay taxes for this sort of thing. Federal taxes should be going towards securing the border, and anyone living in Arizona pays taxes going towards it. Its just sad that they have to seek private funding to ensure the safety of these officers.

What we really need to do is get more border patrol agents out there, and more National Guard units. While at it, why not get more air resources there? Drones would be extremely helpful in spotting smugglers and launching proper attacks against them.

 

[Biohazard]

I agree that we should not have to. I agree that that is what taxes should be for.

The reality is that much of our tax money is wasted and that the guys on the ground have a need that isn't being filled. Always has been that way and likely always will be that way. It's pathetic.

This is an opportunity to do something real and direct. I hope that you change your mind because this affects all of us, the southwest is the entry point for an infection and it is money that will not be a "waste."

V/R

 

[JoshuaW]

I agree that we should not have to. I agree that that is what taxes should be for.

The reality is that much of our tax money is wasted and that the guys on the ground have a need that isn't being filled. Always has been that way and likely always will be that way. It's pathetic.

This is an opportunity to do something real and direct. I hope that you change your mind because this affects all of us, the southwest is the entry point for an infection and it is money that will not be a "waste."

V/R

While I will agree its not a waste, and that I shouldnt have phrased it that way, Im not taking it back. Its a waste in the sense that it shouldnt have to be spent, that they are wasting our tax dollars. Its not wasted protecting those officers lives.

I wont be donating, since I fear this money will not be used for its intended purpose. For instance, the link posted by Fordman79 states that the money will be used for legal defense. I dont agree with the ACLU and the likes filing law suites for every little thing they can think of, but I certainly dont want to pay for the legal defense, especially when that money is supposed to be going towards helping the officers as a group, not to covering the butts of one department or sheriff. Where is the common good in that? In addition, I dont support Arizona's new law, as it emphasizes wasting resources on potentially harmless illegals. I know they need to investigate to find those that are harmful, and every one that chooses to leech off of our country is potentially harmful, but that is a subject for another thread.

Like usual, this is politics doing what they do best -- exploiting the American people. If someone can point to an impartial group that actually makes the purchases of equipment, then donates the equipment, and shows their financial figures to prove it, then I might donate. Until then, its not worth my money, nor is it worth anyone's.

 

[gunman]

we spend $1 billion a year giving pakistan weapons & training and who knows how much to whoever else.. its pretty disgusting that arizona should need to ask for money but i believe they're getting some help. saw the sheriff on cnn about an hour ago talking about how much of a joke the border is.. he had atleast 2 swat officers with him with ar's and body armor while the reporter demonstrated how he could cross the border with ease and i mean ease

 

[Biohazard]

The 2nd link I posted (below also) is directly to the sheriff's department, not some 3rd party organization.

Paul Babeu for Pinal County Sheriff - Contribute

 

[beararms1776]

Eh, Im hesitant to donate. I have no problem with them seeking donations, but I dont think private citizens should have to waste our money. We pay taxes for this sort of thing. Federal taxes should be going towards securing the border, and anyone living in Arizona pays taxes going towards it. Its just sad that they have to seek private funding to ensure the safety of these officers.

What we really need to do is get more border patrol agents out there, and more National Guard units. While at it, why not get more air resources there? Drones would be extremely helpful in spotting smugglers and launching proper attacks against them.

You right we shouldn't have to but when your own Big G is just going to stand buy and watch and the problem gets deeper into the U.S., don't expect big g to save your *ss. If everyone just donated $10 they could buy tanks and rockets. The criminals do.

 

[Disposable Heart]

What I would like to know is if this sherriff's troops are paid. Cops make a little bit of coin.

Also, in regards to government waste, this is a cry for help, IMHO, from someone who probably spent his department's budget on cars or something else, other than patrol rifles and body armor. No offense to the OP or this sherriff, but it sounds like he has what he needs, but spent it elsewhere.

Is this tax writoffable? Is it acutally going to these guys or spent on someone else's extravagant home? Please understand, I have my reservations on giving a person, rather than a department dime one, but also dime one that is not tax derived... If it is not tax derived, then I will not be associated with funding a private militia (even if under the pretense of "sherriff").

 

[Prometheus]

What I would like to know is if this sherriff's troops are paid. Cops make a little bit of coin.

LEO Dept discounts on AR's run DEEP. IIRC it's $500 for an individual officer for a S&W AR. If the Dept itself was to do a group buy, I'm willing to bet it'd be even lower.

Keep in mind that Pinal county is not Chicago or NYC, in a small county like Pinal, deputies starting pay may only be getting $25,000 a year. Yes, you read that right, $25,000.

I have a friend who is a Deputy and a FTO and SGT in small county in Florida. He makes $34,000 a year without OT (after 9 years on the dept).

Also, in regards to government waste, this is a cry for help, IMHO, from someone who probably spent his department's budget on cars or something else, other than patrol rifles and body armor. No offense to the OP or this sherriff, but it sounds like he has what he needs, but spent it elsewhere.

This^^^ However, in a small county like Pinal, where they may start deputies out at $25,000 there budgets can be very small. Heck they may only have a few dozen deputies on staff.

I am curious as to how they have been appropriating their funding. Just bear in mind, again, that Pinal county is not Chicago or NYC.

Is this tax writoffable?

Are you kidding? You judge the worthiness of a cause over how hard the group has sucked the .govs $%^& to get a special exemption?

Is it acutally going to these guys or spent on someone else's extravagant home?

Doubtful, given the writings and press conferences he's given (and som eother AZ sheriff's, they are in an actual war zone. I don't think they are trying to get rich. I'm pretty skeptical normally.

Please understand, I have my reservations on giving a person, rather than a department dime one, but also dime one that is not tax derived... If it is not tax derived, then I will not be associated with funding a private militia (even if under the pretense of "sherriff").

I can't really make sense of that, I've read it several times. Are you saying you never donate to anything?

I'm not planning on donating anything, just to be clear.

In any event, if the Sheriff was smart he'd be asking for local militias to form and help stem the tide his small dept is unable to hold back.

Even if you are hinky over 'militia', when you are being over run on a daily basis and humans are admittedly being smuggled by the hundreds if not thousands a month and tens of millions of dollars of illegal drugs move every month and you can only stop a tiny fraction of that... you get the help anyway you can. I believe some of the land is federal that abutts it, but the rest would be free range....

Speaking of which, I think it's time AZ takes back control of that federal land.

Brewer needs to call out the national guard. She also needs to recall the deployed guard units from Iraq and Afganistan.

 

[beararms1776]

Is this tax writoffable? Is it acutally going to these guys or spent on someone else's extravagant home?

Considering the cicumstances, I really doubt the Sheriff will be filling his pockets before protecting his force in a situation like this.

 

[JoshuaW]

Considering the cicumstances, I really doubt the Sheriff will be filling his pockets before protecting his force in a situation like this.

But he will gladly take the money to fund a legal defense against the ACLU! If he wanted to do what was best for those officers, their families, and the American people, he would say to the ACLU "I am willing to resign, if you will drop the suite against me and the department". The ACLU likes that. He leaves the picture, the money is still spent on saving officers.

Right now, there is no way in heck I am giving them my money, unless it is a third party that is transparent and actually buying gear. I dont care if its intended to be for gear, it wont end up that way.

 

[sporter]

Seriously, man up and buy your own rifles.