Operation Safeguard

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Safeguard 1999
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Operation Safeguard began on February 21, 1999 in Nogales, Arizona. Nogales, Sonora, Mexico is a natural starting point for undocumented aliens attempting to enter the United States illegally. Operation Safeguard's purpose is to make it more difficult to access the United States through this corridor. Operation Safeguard places an increased presence of uniformed agents on the line that is based on a deterrent philosophy.

The agents of the Nogales Border Patrol Station are dedicated individuals who are overworked and undermanned. They continue to apprehend high numbers of narcotics and undocumented aliens as they attempt to cross into the United States. The terrain is hilly with many natural canyons that aid the illegal crossers.

Once across the border, the numerous canyons help to hide the crossers as they make their way North.

Numerous paths beaten into rocky soil indicate the difficult job faced by the Nogales agents.

Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Mexico are located right across from each other which presents another difficulty in preventing illegal crossings. The two cities are separated by a twelve foot fence that hardly seems to slow down people as they climb it and drop into the United States. Once on the ground, the downtown shopping district or a neighborhood is within ten feet. A quick dash into a house or blending in with the afternoon shoppers is an easy task.

Agents are also placed at key exit points along drainage tunnels that link the two countries below ground. Agents can weld a grate closed one day only to have it pried open by alien smugglers before their shift is over. The Nogales bike patrol proves to be an effective force where detailed agents can not be placed into "static" positions to deter these tunnel dwellers.

The Cinderella Tunnel doesn't seem to have much of an opening but it provides immediate access to the downtown area.

Operation Safeguard brought in Border Patrol Agents from the San Diego sector as well as agents from surrounding stations of the Tucson sector. The more effective the operation becomes, the harder it is to maintain the morale of a highly dedicated agent who would prefer to be engaged in some type of enforcement activity.

Agents are placed into "static positions" (also referred to as X's) where they would be highly visible at key entry points along the more populated areas of the border. Agents in mobile positions would provide quick response to those positions where attempted entries are being made. These positions successfully denied the crossers easy access to the populated areas.

Agents have appropriatly named this Hamburger Hill due to high volume of rocks thrown at agents

Nighttime always gives the advantage to the crossers. Portable generators were brought in to take away the shadows provided by the night. Agents have to maintain vigilance because the lighting systems have become targets of frequent rockings. Bundles of marijuana are also thrown over the fence. Agents are rocked to distract them from driving into the area to intercept the contraband.

You can see the lights in the background as the mark the border between the two countries.

Is Operation Safeguard a success? Preliminary indications have indicated the following:

1) Downtown and the areas with immediate access to Nogales have been reduced drastically.

2) Aliens have been forced to cross further out from the Nogales area where apprehending agents have more time to work individual groups.

3) Surrounding stations such as Douglas, Naco, Ajo and Casa Grande have seen record numbers of aliens trying to cross through their areas.

4) The large trails shown in the above pictures have seen a major reduction in traffic.

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