South Texas Ranchers tell Sen. Cornyn border is not secure

Senator John Cornyn visited Brooks County today to hear issues ranchers and authorities in the area are facing with the influx of immigrants making their way 60 miles north of the border. “We’ve rescued them, they are on the verge of dying out here and we’ve rescued hundreds of them,” rancher Dr. Mike Vickers said. Mike and his wife Linda Vickers live minutes from the Falfurrias checkpoint, making their land a popular crossing for illegal immigrants. “We’re running about a hundred a month and this is just a little quarter mile of fence line,” Linda said. The couple finds clothing, trash, water jugs and evidence of human smugglers are on their property daily. “Some of the ranchers in this county have been threatened, don’t call the Border Patrol, if you see people on your property,” Mike said. Smugglers also destroy fencing and water pumps costing the Vickers thousands of dollars each year. Senator Cornyn heard the concerns of the Vickers and several other ranchers today at a meeting with Brooks County elected officials and the South Texans’ Property Rights Association. County officials told Senator Cornyn they need money and resources to control what some call an invasion of illegal immigrants and drug trafficking. “The threat of danger is imminent to everybody in this county because of what is happening here, this is gang related,” Mike said. Brooks County Sheriff Department rescued 659 illegal immigrants, who were abandoned by smugglers on private property last year and found about 129 bodies...more