Danger at the border

Re “Tijuana enclave feels sting of escalating border strife,” Dec. 14

Nowhere in this article was there any indication that the Mexican government or the Tijuana police were asked to comment on why their citizens launch rock-throwing attacks on U.S. border agents with impunity. Instead, you quote acting Mexican Consul General Ricardo Pineda in San Diego whining about how intolerable it is for Mexican nationals to be hit with American tear-gas devices on Mexican soil. Should it be not equally intolerable that U.S. officers are attacked with rocks on U.S. soil?

And what about the poor Tijuana woman whose home is commandeered as a smuggler observation post? What are Mexican authorities doing to help her? The Times fails to address the responsibility of the Mexican government for the actions and welfare of its own citizens.

Gary Thornton

Montebello

Nearly twice a day, the men and women of the San Diego Sector Border Patrol are subjected to violent assaults from criminals operating in Mexico. Organizations there are hiring known criminals to cross into the United States illegally to ambush our agents, using military-style tactics, pinning down the agents in violent assaults.

While the agents seek cover, the smugglers move people and contraband over the fence into our neighborhoods. I have deployed the special response team to these dangerous border areas.

My primary responsibility is to ensure a safe and secure border for our men and women. We will not relinquish ground under operational control, nor will we retreat from our front-line deployments. The threat is real, our border security mission critical, and failure is not an option.

Michael J. Fisher

Chief Agent

U.S. Border Patrol

San Diego Sector