We are told the #1 US Border Patrol objective is to stop terrorists. The US Border Patrol explains this objective at a local public forum- this YouTube video covers Border Patrol objectives at 3:50.
2008- Jefferson County– Checkpoints begin– then end- after local complaints and protests.
State and local LE agencies do not conduct DUI/suspicionless checkpoints in Washington State.
US Border Patrol now doing traffic enforcement work on the Olympic Peninsula?
No terrorists in sight– so there’s plenty of time to go after US citizens seen driving while Black or Brown.
Suspicionless federal traffic stops- away from border crossings and ports of entry – have been going on for months now.
Suspicionless checkpoints ended on the Olympic Peninsula in 2008. Suspicionless bus boardings ended in November, 2011– yet USBP staffing has grown to 42 agents at Port Angeles:
Back in 2008, at a local US Border Patrol forum, a lady asked:
“What is the penalty for not identifying oneself to federal agents at an internal, suspicionless checkpoint?”
The US Border Patrol said they would call in the Sheriff when a person refused to identify themselves.
Sheriff says they would not respond to a non-emergency situation involving a person peaceably refusing to interact with federal agents.
Question about providing ID is at 0:35
Checkpoints ended here in 2008- possibly due to well informed citizens and local protests. Looks like they weren’t vital to national security after all.
War on Terror- credibility squandered.
We’re just weeks away from the grand opening of a new, $5.7 million 50 Agent US Border Patrol station at Port Angeles- an area sharing no land border with Canada.
Still no justification provided by elected officials or the US Border Patrol for an upgrade in staff requiring the 50 agent facility- due to open in the spring of 2012.
Besides sharing no land border with Canada- the Olympic Peninsula is not served by the interstate highway system. The nearest interstate is more than 2 hours away.
Alternate route- Interstate 5 – still more than 2 hours away.
If smugglers & drug traffickers were in a hurry to get to an interstate- the Olympic Peninsula wouldn’t be the place to show up. Maybe this is another reason why we have seen just 2 arrests involving cross-border traffic here & why a report concerning fraudulent overtime went public last year.
Elsewhere in the US, federal checkpoints continue:
Yellowstone Vehicle Safety Checkpoints
State & local checkpoints-
Post details: Remaining Silent At A Sobriety Checkpoint