No, there’s no military operation called that, but there might have to be at some point. There’s been talk for some time about Mexican cartels having spotters on mountaintops in Arizona, helping ensure that their cargo of drugs or aliens (or both) successfully evade law enforcement. But something I heard last week put that into a different context.
Southern Arizona reporter Leo Banks received CIS’s annual immigration journalism award, and in his comments had this to say about a mountain range well inside the United States:
That’s why blowback from borderland residents is so huge against Inspector Clouseau’s claim – that’s Janet Napolitano – (laughter) – that the border is as secure as it’s ever been. If you believe that, I invite you to come out to the Chiracahuas and hear people talk about how the tops of those mountains – they go over 9,000 feet, absolute jewels; most beautiful mountains in the continental United States – how the tops of those mountains, 50 miles into Arizona, are owned by the cartels.
They are basically a forward operating base for the drug cartels, and no one hikes into them anymore – at least to the top parts – because it’s just not safe. It’s too dangerous.
“Forward operating base for the cartels” — 50 miles from the border. Forget Afghanistan — we need some “clear and hold” operations targeting no-go zones inside our own country.