Photo byU.S. Border Patrol

The Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol says his agents in Chula Vista, California this month are encountering homemade tire spikes placed by cartel smugglers along the road from which they patrol the border fence. The tire-deflation devices are intended to disrupt those patrols and take Border Patrol vehicles out of service to delay their response to the cartel's criminal activities along the border.

Tire of a Border Patrol vehicle punctured by a cartel booby trap in the Rio Grande Valley (Texas) Sector (July, 2018)Photo byU.S. Border Patrol

These booby traps (known as "caltrops") have been deployed against Border Patrol Agents up and down the U.S. Southern Border with Mexico for some time now. Agents in the Rio Grande Valley Sector of Texas reported tires flattened by cartel caltrops in July of 2018.

Last year, Border Patrol Officers in the El Paso Sector began encountering different types of these tire-flattening devices - homemade versions of "stop sticks" officers often deploy to stop fleeing vehicles - dropped by one of the cartels on roads heavily trafficked by their smugglers - and heavily patrolled by federal officers.

Homemade "Stop Stick" deployed by Mexican Cartel smugglers against El Paso Sector Border Patrol Agents (May, 2023)Photo byU.S. Border Patrol

The Texas Department of Public Safety says since 2008, they are aware of at least 96 caltrop incidents where cartel operatives threw tire-deflation spikes at the vehicles of law enforcement officers to evade arrest. This prompted the Texas State Legislature in 2011 to pass a law making the possession, manufacture, sale, or use of caltrops a third-degree felony.

Officers fear the cartels' tire-deflation booby traps will injure Border Patrol Agents or innocent civilians by causing a serious accident.Photo byU.S. Border Patrol

The scenario that the Border Patrol fears most is that these booby-traps will lead to a high-speed crash of one of its patrol vehicles leading to the serious injury or death of its agents - or other innocent motorists.

What more should be done to fight cartel activity along the U.S. Southern Border?

Share your opinion in the comments on this article!

For more stories like this "Follow Me" on the Newsbreak App and "Like" this article to stay up to date on immigration and border security issues regularly covered by Jack Beavers on Newsbreak like these:

• Massive Cartel Ammo Seizure at Texas Border
• U.S. Border: $1.5M Cartel Cocaine Busts!
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• Mexican Cartel's Brazen "Texas Operation"

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