|
|
For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. Luke 8:17
|
| |
 LinkAmerica sponsors the Border Sheriff's Posse to "ride" the US borders in intercession and to "pardner" with intercessors around the United States to protect the 26 counties along the U.S./Mexico border. It is critical that we take our place on this fence.
I periodically send specific information and prayer points. We support ALL law enforcement agencies, pray that illegal activity will be stopped (drugs, human trafficking, etc.) and declare that those who are slipping across America's borders with the intent to cause harm be exposed and apprehended. This is not about politics! This is about the protection of the United States of America.
I was visiting with a prophetic intercessor who did not know about the Border Sheriff's Posse when she pointed her finger and said, "And right now God is pinning badges on hidden intercessors.....like a Sheriff's badge," and, with that, she poked her finger into my shoulder!
Are you one of those being "deputized by 'The Sheriff' to aid in law enforcement." Will you join me as we ride with the Lord, our Border Sheriff? We'll just "ride" the fence. We'll catch rustlers, mend spiritual fences and sing some great trail songs along the way.
Please e-mail LinkAmerica@sbcglobal.net to join the "posse."
Pam Faraone
LinkAmerica
El Paso, TX | |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Southwestern Border Sheriff's Coalition |
|
The Southwestern Border Sheriffs' Coalition meeting, held in Ruidoso, NM, hosted 17 of the 26 sheriffs from US/MX border counties, as well as law enforcement officers from several agencies. There were dignitaries from other coalitions and associations, including the head of the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA), Sheriff Craig Webre. It was my privilege to open the conference in prayer and sing "God Bless America." I was amazed at their responsiveness. Many openly expressed their gratitude.
Another member of the Posse and I attended, and we had the opportunity to pray for healing for the wife of one of the sheriffs.
As I considered that the Sheriff is the highest law enforcement official in each county, I was struck by the authority and responsibility each one carries. All were wonderful gentlemen, and some openly talked about the Lord. |
| Dinner with Wife of Imprisoned Border Patrol Agent |
While in Phoenix a week ago, I was blessed to have dinner with Monica Ramos, her mother and the Ramos' 3 boys. They had just come from visiting Nacho at the prison. The report gets more difficult each time they go. The boys told me their dad looks small and pale. Monica does her best to keep all of their spirits up, and I encourage you to pray for each of them. We pray for Nacho and Joe, but Monica is the point person for this battle. Monica and her dad, Joe Loya, have gone beyond anything I could ever imagine to keep this case alive and before the people. Lord, please free and restore Joe and Nacho and correct this injustice.
A Posse couple from San Diego attended the Los Angeles viewing of the documentary, "Borders," last week while I was at the sheriffs' meeting. Following the documentary and panel discussion, they had the opportunity to pray for Monica and she was really blessed and thankful.
Here is a little excerpt of an e-mail Monica sent:
Associated Press Article Launched: 05/12/2008 01:08:21 PM MDT
AUSTIN -- A conservative Christian group has filed an ethics complaint against a federal prosecutor, arguing that he mishandled the case of two Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a fleeing drug suspect and hiding evidence. In the complaint, Kentucky-based Christians Reviving America's Values asked the Texas Bar Association to investigate U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, arguing that he willfully misled the jury to convict Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean.
Monica brought me up to date on the sentencing for Aldrete-Davila, the drug smuggler who was shot. When he pled guilty it was actually to crossing 4 more loads during 2005. That is, he was picked up 4 times - there is no telling how many times he didn't get caught. Once, the load was over 1,000 lbs. Before the agents' trial, the prosecutor told me that Aldrete-Davila was just a poor man out of work who knew what he was doing was wrong but needed to feed his family. I now understand that, if they had charged Aldrete-Davila, he couldn't have been a government witness while under indictment. They really wanted these 2 agents. After getting Aldrete-Davila's history suppressed, the prosecutor openly told the jury during closing arguments the same story she had previously told me. Osvaldo also testified to this under oath. He said he didn't even know what he was crossing or what packaged marijuana looked like. It seems like after so many loads he would have figured it out.
Well, Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila is in jail and will be sent to prison for 6-10 years, but he has left a wife and 2 young children in a little colonia outside of Juarez. It is possible they will become targets because Aldrete-Davila lost those loads, and I have previously felt retaliation could be an issue because so much attention has been brought to the cartels through this mess. I believe we need to compassionately pray for this family. |
| Border Incursions |
In January of this year, the Border Patrol confirmed 29 recorded incursions into the US by Mexican military or other government agents from Oct. 2005 through Sept. 2006. Mexican officials were armed in 17 of these incidents. Reports of incursions by Mexican officials range from drawing guns to wandering unintentionally a few feet across the border. Between 1996 and 2006 a total of 253 incursions were confirmed, including one that became an international incident in Hudspeth County, east of El Paso County, when men dressed in Mexican military uniforms assisted civilian-dressed drug smugglers across the Rio Grande. The current reputed leader of that drug-trafficking family is Jose Rodolfo Escajeda, alias "El Riquin." The Escajedas are said to control a 120-mile corridor east of El Paso. Even though they are based in a little village, the Escajeda organization allegedly smuggled more than 400,000 lbs of marijuana between 2000 and 2006. A DEA spokesman stated recently, "When you control a part of the border, it's a major organization."
Let's pray for Sheriff Arvin West and his deputies in Hudspeth County, TX. Some have had bounties as high as $100,000 placed on them, and their wives and children have been threatened.
|
| Speaking of Incursions |
In March I wrote you about Columbus, NM, the community invaded by Pancho Villa, as the OFFICIAL site of the last incursion into the United States. Just across the border, in the same county as Juarez, is Palomas, Chihuahua, MX. The Palomas Police Chief was the first of several border community Police Chiefs who have sought asylum in the US. Another 5 people were murdered last Sunday in Palomas, bringing the death count to well over 50 this year for that little village.
Luna County, NM Sheriff Raymond Cobos called the violence that has taken place an "international tragedy," and stated, "On scale and proportion, it's every bit as bad as Baghdad. It's mind boggling." Sheriff Cobos fears that the violence may one day unintentionally spill into the US during a gun battle and innocent people may be hurt. The violence has changed the way Palomas and Columbus depend on each other economically, but "the scary part is the illegal forces will create a de facto government," according to the Sheriff. He said it could get to the point where militias will run the town, "kind of like Beirut."
As we pray for Sheriff Raymond Cobos, his officers and all law enforcement personnel in Luna County, let us also consider the spiritual implications of the incursion by Pancho Villa on March 16, 1916, just over 92 years ago.
As we prepare to "mend some spiritual fences" in the near future, remember, this is one significant fence that has fallen down. |
| San Diego State University Drug Bust |
Ninety-six people, 75 of them students at San Diego State, were arrested in a sweeping drug bust on May 6. Large quantities of cocaine were seized, along with Ecstasy, marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms, hash oil, methamphetamine, illicit prescription drugs, several guns and at least $60,000 in cash. The associated press article stated that a 36-year-old who was arrested has possible ties to the Mexican Mafia. |
| Another Border Agent Indicted |
|
Because there is so much to share, I frequently do not report stories about law enforcement officers who have been arrested or indicted. This week an El Paso US Border Patrol Agent was indicted on charges of money laundering and conspiring with 2 people from Mexico to smuggle undocumented immigrants into the US. Since January 2005, this agent allegedly received a portion of the fees paid to the smugglers to allow more than 100 people passage through the interior Border Patrol checkpoints in New Mexico.
My heart just cries out whenever I hear such a report. It is my prayer that the Lord will protect each one of these men and women from giving in to the temptation to make some easy money, from the vulnerability they experience when their families are threatened if they don't comply, and from the discouragement they could experience from trying to do a job that is just about impossible. I pray federal officers charged with enforcing the rule of law and protecting us will be able to maintain the public's trust. |
| Chicago, Miami, Oklahoma City, Memphis |
|
These are some of the cities supplied by 8 members of a distribution ring busted a week ago in El Paso. The ring was working for a Mexican drug cartel. The DEA, police, sheriff's deputies, the Border Patrol and the US Attorney's office made up the investigating task force. |
| America's Toughest Sheriff |
|
Joe Arpaio, Sheriff of Maricopa County, AZ, has been dubbed by the media as America's Toughest Sheriff. In 1993 he built the nation's largest tent prison. Recently one of his deputies stopped Mayor Rebecca Jimenez of Guadalupe, AZ for driving at 9:30 at night with 1 headlight out. She became angry and accused the deputy of racial profiling. Lord, give these men and women grace to remain calm and in control no matter what the situation. |
| Juarez Murders Climb, Thousands March to Protest |
At least 5 homicides on Friday and 3 executions on Saturday brought the total for last week to 25. Seven more bodies were found on Sunday. Around 300 have occurred in Juarez so far this year. Also, Juarez' top police official resigned and a retired military officer is said to be his replacement. More than a dozen Juarez police officers have been killed this year, including the No. 2 officer, Police Director Juan Antonio Roman Garcia, who was gunned down a week ago. Lord, please intervene...
Clad in white, thousands of people marched silently in Juarez last Sunday to protest the surge of drug-related violence. Students, church leaders, businessmen and politicians walked for about 4 miles across Juarez to a park near a border crossing. The silence was occasionally broken with speeches, dancing and singing. |
| Rape, Squalor, Piles of Trash and a Stun Gun |
Three Mexican men held 57 undocumented immigrants in a "drop house" in South Los Angeles. Agents described the conditions of the house as "utter squalor with trash and food piled up 2-3 feet high inside." A pistol and stun gun were also found. One woman had been repeatedly raped by 1 of her captors. She had been at the home since last summer and is now 7 months pregnant. Other women said the men attempted to rape them but relented when their children began to cry. It is common for "coyotes" to collect $2-3 thousand dollars (recent reports say up to $7,000) to smuggle someone into the US and then hold them captive until their families come up with more money. Please join me in shining His light through prayer to expose this kind of evil and darkness. |
| The Merida Initiative |
|
While the death toll was climbing in Juarez this past week, Texas lawmakers in Washington were debating the merits of the Bush administration plan to help Mexico fight drug cartels by approving $560 million this year for the Merida Initiative (named for Merida, MX where Bush and Calderon met in March of 2007 and where they first mentioned an aid package), which would send equipment to the Mexican government and provide training for law enforcement officers. The entire plan is to send $1.4 billion in aid to Mexico over 3 years.
Some have argued that, while this money would help Mexico, we must arm our local law enforcement officers who are waging the same battle every day. Here are excerpts from the Texas Border Sheriffs' Coalition letter to Congress, written by Executive Director Don Reay:
-- 19 county sheriffs...bound together in the common goal of border security and reducing crime along the TX/MX border...in partnership with Customs and Border Protection, the State of TX including elements of the TX Dept. of Public Safety, the TX Rangers, the TX Game Wardens, and city law enforcement, as well as our neighboring Sheriffs --
-- major concern HR 502...awarding of $1.4 billion dollars in training, technology, and general funding to the Government of Mexico for border security and development is ill advised.
-- our opposition to this bill be voiced...no enforceable assurances in the bill that would guarantee the money would go to the use for which it is intended...very real risk of having to defend our citizens against a threat that has been enhanced by our own government's attempt to help a foreign nation... learn from history...not good business...Coalition has a proven record of being good stewards...only imagine what could be done with $1.4 billion dollars invested in border security where we have accountability, not in a foreign land with no accountability or recourse to improper management of funds...announce vigorously our opposition to this bill.
Let's pray Congress will do what is right in the Lord's eyes.
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
