geistkiesel
Valued Senior Member
Ezekiel Hernandez an 18 year old Texas highschool student and sheepherder was murdered by a squad of US Marines who were "training" on the Texas Mexico border in a loacation that was void in traffic of drugs. Ezekel had a WWI single shot .22 rifle he used to protect the sheep from varmits. The marine patrol were in full combat dress, camoflaged, armed with automatic assault rifles. The squad leader announced that Ezekiel had shot at one of the Marines in the squad, denied by the other memners of the murder team.
The squad leader was in radio conact with his control including his comany commander. The patrol stalked Ezekiel for approximately 40 minutes when the squad leader then shot Ezekiel and killed him. The bullet trajectory was side to side which belied the claim that Ezekiel was preparing to fire at the Marines.
The next day an apology was issued by the Pentagn for the "tragic" mistake. The following day a Marine colonel made a public statement correcting the previous "apology" stating that the Marines did exactly as the were trained under the "rules of engagement" and that it would be unfair to subject the Marnes to civilian prosecution.
The Marines walked , the pentagon paid off the family and all is quiet on the Tex/Mex front once again.
the beginning of he Ezekiel Hernandez murder story.
"At the same time, Clemente Manuel Banuelos became the first-ever member of the United States Marine Corps to kill a fellow citizen on U.S. soil. Four investigations and three grand juries probed the May 1997 shooting. Each concluded that because Banuelos followed orders, he was innocent of criminal wrongdoing. [empasis added] Those who issued the orders were never tried. Both young men became victims of the Pentagon's quixotic $1 billion-a-year war on drugs. " Austin Chronicle December 25, 1998.
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Dallas Morning News August 1, 1997
Border troops
Decision to end military patrols is justified
copyright The Dallas Morning News 08/01/97
The news that the Pentagon has suspended border surveillance missions by military units from Texas to California should come as a surprise to no one. The decision was reported in the Wall Street Journal just one day before a grand jury convened in Marfa to begin weighing whether to indict a Marine corporal for the shooting death of 18-year-old Ezequiel Hernandez during a surveillance patrol near Redford, Texas.
That tragic incident, along with the previous shooting of a Mexican border bandit by a Special Forces sergeant in January, raised questions about armed U.S. troops assisting the Border Patrol on surveillance missions. It is increasingly clear that challenging the smuggling of drugs and undocumented newcomers should properly be the mission of the Border Patrol alone.
But a caveat is in order. If, for whatever reason, the federal immigration service and the Border Patrol fail to achieve their mission, declaring surrender is not an option. Whether the Pentagon likes it or not, the military may find itself ordered back to the border - especially in the aftermath of a recent House vote to deploy up to 10,000 troops in the region."
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Associated Press, May 22, 1998
Military authorized to return to border patrol duty Notable quote: "The House voted Thursday to authorize enlisting the military to help patrol U.S. borders in the war against drug smuggling and illegal immigration. Opponents said the plan could turn the U.S.-Mexican border into an armed corridor."
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The military is balking for good reason. Ever since the shooting of Mr. Hernandez, U.S. troops participating in border surveillance operations have come to fear the possibility of being hung out to dry for doing their job. The assertion by a military officer in El Paso Monday that the Border Patrol took too long to respond to the shooting and was responsible for Mr. Hernandez bleeding to death indicates just how sensitive the military is becoming over the issue.
But everyone should now focus on what actually happened in Redford the day of Mr. Hernandez's death. That process will be further served when the grand jury in Marfa reconvenes in two weeks. It also will be an opportunity to prove or disprove recent allegations that Mr. Hernandez had shot at Border Patrol agents in February and had been warned not to do so. At the end of the day, ascertaining the absolute truth must continue to be the goal.
[Note the Grand jury convened (the jury contained 2-3 border patrolmen, George Walker Bush was then Governor of Texas) and found no fault. Texas Rangers familiar with he case indicated that some stories had been changed and there were disturbing inconsistencies in some of th accounts].
The squad leader was in radio conact with his control including his comany commander. The patrol stalked Ezekiel for approximately 40 minutes when the squad leader then shot Ezekiel and killed him. The bullet trajectory was side to side which belied the claim that Ezekiel was preparing to fire at the Marines.
The next day an apology was issued by the Pentagn for the "tragic" mistake. The following day a Marine colonel made a public statement correcting the previous "apology" stating that the Marines did exactly as the were trained under the "rules of engagement" and that it would be unfair to subject the Marnes to civilian prosecution.
The Marines walked , the pentagon paid off the family and all is quiet on the Tex/Mex front once again.
the beginning of he Ezekiel Hernandez murder story.
"At the same time, Clemente Manuel Banuelos became the first-ever member of the United States Marine Corps to kill a fellow citizen on U.S. soil. Four investigations and three grand juries probed the May 1997 shooting. Each concluded that because Banuelos followed orders, he was innocent of criminal wrongdoing. [empasis added] Those who issued the orders were never tried. Both young men became victims of the Pentagon's quixotic $1 billion-a-year war on drugs. " Austin Chronicle December 25, 1998.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dallas Morning News August 1, 1997
Border troops
Decision to end military patrols is justified
copyright The Dallas Morning News 08/01/97
The news that the Pentagon has suspended border surveillance missions by military units from Texas to California should come as a surprise to no one. The decision was reported in the Wall Street Journal just one day before a grand jury convened in Marfa to begin weighing whether to indict a Marine corporal for the shooting death of 18-year-old Ezequiel Hernandez during a surveillance patrol near Redford, Texas.
That tragic incident, along with the previous shooting of a Mexican border bandit by a Special Forces sergeant in January, raised questions about armed U.S. troops assisting the Border Patrol on surveillance missions. It is increasingly clear that challenging the smuggling of drugs and undocumented newcomers should properly be the mission of the Border Patrol alone.
But a caveat is in order. If, for whatever reason, the federal immigration service and the Border Patrol fail to achieve their mission, declaring surrender is not an option. Whether the Pentagon likes it or not, the military may find itself ordered back to the border - especially in the aftermath of a recent House vote to deploy up to 10,000 troops in the region."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Associated Press, May 22, 1998
Military authorized to return to border patrol duty Notable quote: "The House voted Thursday to authorize enlisting the military to help patrol U.S. borders in the war against drug smuggling and illegal immigration. Opponents said the plan could turn the U.S.-Mexican border into an armed corridor."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The military is balking for good reason. Ever since the shooting of Mr. Hernandez, U.S. troops participating in border surveillance operations have come to fear the possibility of being hung out to dry for doing their job. The assertion by a military officer in El Paso Monday that the Border Patrol took too long to respond to the shooting and was responsible for Mr. Hernandez bleeding to death indicates just how sensitive the military is becoming over the issue.
But everyone should now focus on what actually happened in Redford the day of Mr. Hernandez's death. That process will be further served when the grand jury in Marfa reconvenes in two weeks. It also will be an opportunity to prove or disprove recent allegations that Mr. Hernandez had shot at Border Patrol agents in February and had been warned not to do so. At the end of the day, ascertaining the absolute truth must continue to be the goal.
[Note the Grand jury convened (the jury contained 2-3 border patrolmen, George Walker Bush was then Governor of Texas) and found no fault. Texas Rangers familiar with he case indicated that some stories had been changed and there were disturbing inconsistencies in some of th accounts].
Geistkiesel