By Sandy Wells
KABC News
An Arizona man whose ranch borders on Mexico says criminals now regulate all traffic coming across into the U.S.
Jim Chilton says before the big wave of migration began in the 90’s, the border was much quieter.
“Thirty years ago, men would come across from time to time looking for work, and on ranches. And then we all of a sudden we had an avalanche of people coming across and through my ranch. I suspect at one time in the nineties about 40,000 people were walking through my ranch.”
The border has now taken on a more ominous quality.
“Now the Sinaloa Cartel has gained control of the entire border on my ranch and they are limiting people coming through. It’s mainly drug traffic now.”
Chilton says he has three motion-activated cameras set up on about 200 trails that come through his ranch and they detect hundreds of people carrying huge packs of marijuana.
“But they’re bringing in cocaine, meth and heroin, also. The Border Patrol has apprehended about 55,000 in the Tuscon sector this year.”
Chilton says that since the Tuscon Station, where the Border Patrol agents are based is 90 miles from the border, his ranch has effectively been ceded to the control of the Sinaloa Cartel.
But he’s not discouraged, nor is he particularly frightened.
“I’m a cowboy and I’m tough. I carry guns everywhere I go and I just hope I don’t run into a guy with an AK-47.”
Chilton was a guest on 790 KABC’s McIntyre in the Morning Show with Doug McIntyre and Terri-Rae Elmer.
