Minutemen Volunteers Find Body of Suspected Border Crosser
The Associated Press
Published: Aug 1, 2005 PHOENIX (AP) - A volunteer border patrol group discovered the body of a woman suspected to be a border crosser less than a mile from a water aid station maintained by a humanitarian group.
The woman was one of at least two people found dead near the border over the weekend.
The U.S. Border Patrol confirmed that they were told about the woman's body on Saturday, though agents declined to identify the reporting party.
However, a news crew from KVOA-TV was with the Minutemen volunteers and said the group quickly reported the body to federal authorities.
Minutemen volunteer Fred Puckett said he was saddened by the discovery and blamed the death on the government's lack of enforcement along the United States-Mexico border.
"This poor woman had to die here because the government will not secure our borders," Puckett said. "All of the politicians are responsible for this."
Pima County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Dawn Barkman said another man found dead on Sunday died of some apparent trauma. An autopsy was scheduled for Monday.