(10/18/2005)

Minutemen Civil Defense Corps starts Secure Our Borders Operation  Early
Responing to aid Border Patrol helping with Katrina relief.

Tombstone, AZ – More than 100 U.S. Border Patrol agents have been reassigned from Arizona and New Mexico to aid Katrina victims.

As released by Department of Homeland Security yesterday, Customs and Border Patrol (CPB) agentsare en route to the area affected by Hurricane Katrina to provide security and law enforcement support during the evacuation of the Super Dome. This shift in personnel away from the border to New Orleans and other affected areas leaves our country vulnerable to increased trafficking by illegal aliens and terrorists attempting to enter the United States.

Chris Simcox, president of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps announced today that Minuteman volunteers will be immediately deployed to the southern border with Mexico to assist with border security in order to fill gaps in border security as U.S. Border Patrol reassigned to disaster relief duty . Operations start today in both Arizona and Texas.

Martial law has been declared in the disaster stricken areas and the Border Patrol along with thousands of National Guard personnel have been mobilized to enforce the rule of law. According to a report from Homeland Security, the Bush administration ordered the CBP, the federal agency charged with securing the border, to provide manpower, assets, and humanitarian support to Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts, which has some border state residents nervous about the lack of border security.

”We have requested that Minuteman volunteers and supporters aid in the effort by donating to the Salvation Army, but we have told volunteers to only travel to the area with authorized disaster assistance organizations to assist with any search and rescue or law enforcement duties. We are mobilizing volunteers to stand in the breach along our border. While the federal government is responding to the natural disaster and its aftermath of lawlessness and human suffering, we will assist by sending Minuteman volunteers to protect and defend our border line in assistance to an already understaffed and embattled U.S. Border Patrol. Our nation needs our help now more than ever, and we are prepared to serve honorably during a time of crisis,” said Simcox.

For more information, please visit www.minutemanhq.com.