BORDER PATROL: PUT BASE CLOSER TO BORDER

The Bootheel region of southwestern New Mexico and the adjoining
desert of southeastern Arizona has been a weak link in the effort to
secure our nation's southern border for some time.

Border Patrol officials say that more than a quarter of the El Paso
Sector's area classified as "uncontrolled" is in the Bootheel region.

The tragic murder of rancher Rob Krentz in March, most likely by a
drug trafficker who fled back across the border, has finally drawn
attention to a problem that Krentz and his neighbors had been trying
to alert the government about for years.

And now there is finally action being taken.

A forward operating base will be constructed in the Bootheel,
allowing officers to patrol the region without having to make the
90-minute drive each way from the Lordsburg headquarters -- consuming
three hours or an eight-to 12-hour workday.

The base will include living quarters for 16 agents, horse corrals, a
fueling facility and a helipad.

Agents stationed at the base for short intervals will provide a
permanent presence in the region and be able to respond much more
quickly when needed.

That's terrific news.

At the same time, we agree with those in the area who argue that the
forward operating base is not as forward as it ought to be.

The Border Patrol plans to built at a site about 20 miles north of
the border, on privately owned land off Horse Camp Drive.

A group of Hidalgo County ranchers and other has submitted a petition
with 110 signatures, contending that the base should be closer to the
border to give residents the most protection.

They prefer a piece of Bureau of Land Management land, about seven
miles from the border.

They say that site is on a plain, and would give agents a better view
of the surrounding area.

We recognize that a number of factors go into land acquisition at the
federal level -- including environmental concerns.

There was also mention of the BLM land being in a floodplain, and
worries about cost.

While all of those factor should be considered, it seems to us that
the primary concern should be security.

And there can be no doubt that an operating base seven miles from the
border would be much more effective than one 20 miles from the border.

Not to mention much more comforting for people living within those 20 miles.