Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu recently announced that "drug
cartels" control the area in his county where deputy Louie
Puroll was allegedly shot at, and where two men were recently
gunned down.
Now Babeu may be getting some assistance from an unwelcome and
unsavory source: Vigilantes led by National Socialist Movement member
J.T. Ready.
As
I blogged back in May, Ready and fellow neo-Nazi Harry Hughes have
been going on illegal alien "patrols" in Pinal County's Vekol Valley,
dressed in camouflage and armed with assault rifles.
Now Ready has announced a "Border Ops" alert for this Saturday via
his profile on the white supremacist New Saxon site, inviting
participants to "bring plenty of firearms and ammo."
"Camouflage or earth tone clothing [is] preferred," according to the
announcement. "Bandanas, balaclavas, or other identity concealing items
are permissible and encouraged."
Ready's statement promises that, "This is the Minuteman Project on
steroids! THE INVASION STOPS HERE!"
I called Ready to ask him if he had informed law enforcement about
his operation, which he says will involve other NSM members and include
an "incursion" into Mexico. He said his group has a law enforcement
liaison flying in, but it didn't sound like he'd run any of this
stunt past the local gendarmes.
"Our statement to law enforcement is to support us," said Ready.
"With choppers...with SWAT teams and so forth. We're telling them to
come down."
But Ready seemed to think it was time for he and his folks to take
matters into their own hands.