7/18/2014
The Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office confirmed a militia group is in the Rio Grande Valley.
Action4 News learned that several men minutemen from a militia group out of state have made their way down to the valley to help with secure the border.
We were told by Pharr police and the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office that they were posted up at Pharr Port of Entry Wednesday.
However, we do not have the exact number of men that are down here and we are told there could possibly be more people on the way.
"The initial reports were about six men along the river in the Pharr area and they were armed with long arms,” said Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office Commander Joel Rivera.
Commander Rivera said he has not spoken to this particular militia group, but said others have reached out to their agency in the past. The sheriff’s office is not encouraging citizens to take matters into their own hands.
"The orders of the Sheriff are to all of our deputies is that we will respect their second amendment rights as long as they fall within the state laws of Texas," he said.
Which according to Cmdr. Rivera, means that when in public, the minutemen carrying long-arms, must do so in a non-threatening manner.
Rivera said, "As far as them going to private property, obviously, we need for them to respect the wishes of the private land owners."
Action4 News did go out to searching for the militia by the Pharr bridge, but the minutemen were nowhere in sight. We spoke with people living along the river to find out how they felt about having armed men provide border security. While many did not want to speak on camera, they did tell us its concerning.
One property owner told us that the group asked permission to set up on the property. However, the individual denied their request because of the potential liability in the event that someone were to get hurt.
The owner explained that Border Patrol agents have been doing a good job securing the area and Commander Rivera agrees.
The owner explained that Border Patrol agents have been doing a good job securing the area and Commander Rivera agrees.
“The department has created the partnerships with the state and federal agencies and through a cooperative effort, we feel we have been providing the necessary protections for our citizens,” stated Rivera.
Action4 reached out and contacted one member from the militia group, but at this time, they are not releasing the name of their organization, details of how many boots are on the ground, but they tell us that they will provide more information in the near future.
The group adds they do want to be transparent and keep the community informed on issues relating to border security.
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