AN UNSECURED BORDER: ZAPATA’S S.O.S.

By: JUAN RODRIGUEZ LOPEZ & JESSE CASTANEDA, JR

Zapata, Texas- Peace in Zapata, Texas is no longer a way of life. This little sleepy town has now experience numerous violent activities that indicate that organized crime has spilled over the border. Zapata authorities are keeping vigilant. There has been a number of reports of abductions, assaults and even extortions done by border trespassers that cross into the Texas-Mexican area. These crimes are typically acted upon during the hours of darkness, leaving the community utterly uncomfortable.

  Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez knows the dire circumstance that his community is under. Violent muggings on oil company employees have been reported, but have been denied and kept at bay by state and federal officials. An individual that we spoke to, who wanted to be kept anonymous said, "Oil employees have been assaulted by people who have crossed over from the Mexican side. I was told to be prepared and be cautious when driving around the terrain. Some guys that can carry pistols, do so. All sorts of horror stories are being told by employees working in the oil industry.”

  Its disturbing, indeed. “A 75 percent of Zapata’s economic activity has vanished,” states Sheriff Gonzalez. "I guarantee you that with all these incidents that are going on, more ranchers and oil corporations will move out of Zapata."

  Gonzalez says that out of nine natural gas companies, five have left the area. The on-going criminal activity that these "border trespassers" commit have left many ranchers and oil personnel uneasy.

  Gonzalez remembers Zapata as being a “Black Bass” sanctuary for which huge international fishing tournaments were organized. Zapata was famous for these events. Television networks broadcasted them out of Falcon Lake. It was all good. The lake was the "fountain of commerce". The threat of drug cartels on the border is slowly turning the community into a ghost town.

  “Now, everything has disappeared and I’m very worried,” says Gonzalez, "Falcon Lake was an escape from harsh winter weather for those people that came from the northern region. They would come down here, relax and generate money for the community."

  During the winter season, tourists would drive to Zapata with their recreational vehicles (RV's); they would spend money on restaurants, stores and the hotel facilities. Now, the situation is different. The presence of tourists has diminished. There has been numerous accounts of people from the Mexican side crossing and threatening Zapata residents and tourists while on the lake.

  On September 30, 2011, David Hartley, an employee from an oil company in Reynosa, Tamaulipas was killed while cruising with his wife on their jet skis. A group from the Mexican side started shooting at them as they sped across the lake. The Hartleys only wanted to take pictures of some church ruins on Guerrero Viejo, Mexico. David Hartley died of a shot to the head. His wife returned unharmed.

  The murder of David Hartley brought international attention to Zapata in a negative way. This community is soon realizing that the future is looking bleak. A huge international incident is waiting to happen. With very little resources, Sheriff Gonzalez is left with a dreadful concern.

 “They use heavy artillery, grenades, fifty caliber assault rifles which can pierce body armor and any metal surface. They even have missiles that can take-out any airplane,” says Sheriff Gonzales. "We can't defend ourselves with that type of artillery."

  Gonzalez has attended various talks with state and federal officials and has prompted U.S. Congress to take this issue seriously. He spoke at the Homeland Security Subcommittee on the 11th of May. He talked about the issues and the need for assistance to be able to confront this international threat, but as of now, all has been fruitless. Janet Napolitano, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security, said that the border is secured - a huge contradiction against Sheriff Gonzales's statement that "the border is un-secured". Who would you rather believe? A sheriff that knows his "ground" or a U.S. official that has never stepped-in Zapata, Texas before? And why not give the sheriff the funds and support that he is seeking?

  His necessities to obtain equipment and more man power is three hundred eighty thousand dollars during the first years. In order to keep a town of Zapata’s magnitude secure, it is required that a bare minimum of 2.6 agents per every one thousand habitants is needed. In this instance, Zapata, Texas, by reason of its fifteen thousand inhabitants, needs thirty nine elements, a SWAT team, and more up-to-date technology and armed equipment to counter the present enemy. Gonzalez states that he counts with twenty eight officers to cover 997 cubic miles, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

  The sheriff assured us that he does not really have strong support from federal law enforcement agencies. For instance Border Patrol is only a "presence", and does not really take immediate investigative action or mounts operations. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) does in fact organize investigations, but unfortunately takes two to three years to conclude one. This of course is no disrespect to the federal law enforcement agencies, but there is only so much federal agencies can do without proper and direct orders. Bureaucracy is hindering the sheriff's resources, and its only a matter of time that a huge incident will erupt.

  Gonzalez recognizes the severe and unprotected state in which the citizens of Zapata live in. And with scarce support from the federal government, the sheriff can only use what he has on hand, but pledges he will protect his community and its citizens from any threat resulting from border violence. He does what he can. From seizing drugs along the border to just simply taking necessary measures such as installing signs on the lake banks advising fishermen to stay away from Mexican waters; because just in case you didn’t know, there is a war going on just a few inches from Zapata, Texas.

  Sheriff Gonzales, who has been trying to keep the peace for seventeen years, feels that it can only get worse if there should be no federal support. Aside from the border calamities, Zapata's current severe hot climate is not making things easier. Ranchers and farmers from the region will get to speak in Laredo, Texas with Department of Agriculture, Todd Staples and will ask for assistance and intervention regarding their crop and ranchland.

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