Border rancher's New Mexico property damaged by smuggler

COLUMBUS, New Mexico - For more than a century, the Johnson family has owned thousands of acres west of Columbus in New Mexico. "There's no easy way to pick up and move a ranch," Russell Johnson told ABC-7. "We have too much heritage and legacy here to just pick up and move it." With a belt buckle that read 'Est. 1917,' Johnson gripped the barbed wire that separates part of his ranch from Mexico. "You always live with a constant heightened awareness for your surroundings and what's going on around you," Johnson said. "You don't know what's lurking in the darkness or even in the daylight." On June 28th, the rancher told ABC-7 he was awakened by U.S. Border Patrol agents who said they found smuggling activity on his property. Close to midnight, he discovered a vehicle had driven over the barbed wire separating his property, cut the lock to his gate, and rammed into it in full force. "They got spooked and made their run back to Mexico," Johnson said, gesturing to the abandoned village of Las Chepas, just south of the barrier on his property. Johnson scrambled to fix the fence before his hundreds of cattle could potentially escape to the neighboring country.
"If I have a cow go into Mexico, that's potentially $1,000 or $1,100 dollars to Mexico," he said. "The likelihood of us getting it back is next to none." For both his safety and the preservation of his ranch, Johnson is calling on the federal government to build a stronger and more secure border barrier separating his property from Mexico. "The government should be taking care of and securing it so we feel just as safe here as we would further north in Las Cruces or Santa Fe," Johnson said. He told ABC-7 he has invited the governor of New Mexico, both of the state's U.S. senators and other elected officials. However, he said the only federal representative to tour his ranch was U.S. Congresswoman Xochitl Torres Small (D - Las Cruces)...MORE

Kudos to Rep. Small, the lone member of the delegation to take the time to visit the Johnson Ranch. She deserves credit for that. What did she learn? Let's look at her statement in response to this incident:

"We have to recognize that including ranchers, like Mr. Johnson, in the discussion about border security is crucial to finding meaningful solutions," Torres Small said in a statement. "Our system is overwhelmed, especially in the most rural areas where resources are stretched thin. While we may not always agree on the solutions, keeping our border secure means listening to those affected."

What does that tell us? Nothing. Many politicians today, not just Rep. Small, issue these kind of statements that are information and solution free. Does she support Johnson's call for a "more secure border barrier separating his property from Mexico"? We don't know. Does she support leaving the flimsy barbwire fence as the sole barrier between the two nations? We don't know. Does she support some other approach? We don't know. 

Did she take a firm position on the recent passage of the National Defense Authorization Act? Yes.

“New Mexico’s military installations, like White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base, are essential to our country’s national defense. I am pleased to honor our responsibility to provide for our military and its service members by passing this year’s NDAA."

Did she take a firm position on protecting farmers and others from PFAS contamination originating on military bases in NM? Yes 

"Our national defense is more important than party lines. But this year, the Administration is setting up a false choice. We don't need to undermine the economic livelihood of farmers to support our military. We can ensure that the Department of Defense compensates farmers for contaminating their water supply while providing for the needs of the military without delay. Our national defense is too important to turn into a partisan issue."

How about on supplemental appropriations for humanitarian assistance on the border? Yes. 

“With each passing day, the burden on our border communities grows as their limited resources are further stretched beyond capacity. Today’s bipartisan vote is the first step towards ensuring those border communities, churches, and nonprofits that have stepped up to meet the needs of migrants and address this crisis are repaid for their work. The additional money to hire 30 immigration judge teams will help fix the already looming backlog in our asylum system. The funds set aside for transportation of migrants from border patrol stations will aid in alleviating overcrowding and expedite processing...".

But taking a firm position on the barrier with Mexico? Apparently not. Not now, anyway.