United States Whatcom County residents fed up with border patrol incursions

Mike · Aug 5, 2011

Things have been heating up in Whatcom County, WA, where residents are getting fed up with border patrol incursions onto their property.

Bellingham Herald (3 Feb): Whatcom County border residents upset by prosecution of neighbor

Some residents of northern Whatcom County say they are dismayed by the federal prosecution of a friend and neighbor, Wayne Groen, accused of shining a hand-held spotlight on a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol helicopter in September 2010. Groen was indicted Jan. 12 in U.S. District Court in Seattle on one count of interfering with an aircraft's operation and one count of incapacitating a person operating an aircraft. He has entered a not-guilty plea. If convicted on both counts, Groen could be sentenced to 40 years in prison. His trial date is set for March 21.
Click to expand...

The Western Front (22 Feb): Border Patrol draws criticism at public meeting, offers more transparency

KOMO News (17 June): Whatcom County residents tell feds to keep out

That's the message some property owners are sending to the feds along the U.S.-Canada border. They're putting up signs, warning the government to keep its distance. The sign says, "No government vehicles beyond this point." The homeowners say when they were just a handful of agents on the border, everything was fine. Now there are 322, and it's not fine anymore: "These guys are just out, doing whatever they want to do, and the complaints aren't getting to them," said Dennis Hill of the 49th Parallel Coalition.
Click to expand...

Darryl Ehlers strung chains across his roads. He says agents drove through his fields at up to 30 miles per hour, creating huge ruts.
Click to expand...

So does dairy farmer Larry De Haan. He says Border Patrol cars have torn up his field. And he's not happy about the helicopters, either. "They would literally strafe my home here and my cows in the field. My cows were so terrified I pulled cows out of the drainage ditch on at least three occasions last summer," he said.
Click to expand...

Zero respect for private property on the part of the border patrol:

The Border Patrol declined comment, but sent an e-mail saying federal law says agents may enter private lands within 25 miles of any U.S. Border.

As for locks, they'll walk around in case of a non-emergency, they'll walk around. But if there's an emergency and the owner isn't around, they'll cut the lock.
Click to expand...

The Province (5 Aug): Man who shone torch at U.S. border chopper gets 60 days' jail

Wayne Groen, 42, a church deacon from Lynden Washington who shone a spotlight into the cockpit of a low-flying U.S., border patrol helicopter has been sentenced to 60 days in jail and fined $5,000. Groen’s actions in Sept. 2010, had blinded the pilot of the helicopter, who was wearing night goggles, forcing him to veer into Canadian airspace near Abbotsford’s airport.
Click to expand...

Log in or Sign up

United States Whatcom County residents fed up with border patrol incursions

Mike Founding Member Coach

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

United States Whatcom County residents fed up with border patrol incursions

Mike Founding Member Coach

Share This Page

Useful Searches