Speech #820226656

Tex.. owns 700 to 800 acres north of Edinburg and consistently employs aliens and resists efforts of patrolmen to apprehend his aliens whenever possible. During the last cotton season he closed roads on his land. placed boards with nails in them extending upward across roads. stretched a chain between two posts in another road. the chain being placed about 12 to 15 inches above the ground. All these booby traps were placed on the roads leading into his property to prevent the border patrol from apprehending his aliens. He installed a siren on the roof of his tractor shed and used it to warn aliens of the approach of the border patrol. Carroll Vernon. Edinburg. Tex.. operates scattered farms in the dryland area north of Edinburg between Faysville and San Manuel. He consistently employs aliens for all work on his farms. is most disagreeable and uncooperative to the Immigration Service. For example. on one occasion a Governmentowned truck broke down near his home and he refused the driver the use of his telephone to call for assistance. In the Mission area there have been several farmers who have flagrantly shown little respect for our immigration laws. Among them are Thomas Robertson. a prominent farmer and leader in the Mission community who has consistently resisted all efforts of the patrol to apprehend illegal aliens working on his various farms located north and west of Mission. He has openly stated to several patrol inspectors that he intended to work aliens and that if any man came oR his farm without his permissioit that he intended to stop him with whatever means that would be at his hand. and that if it meant killing a patrol inspector. that is the way it would have to be. The Banworth brothers. Arthur and Harold. who operate a large farm and ranch west of Mission along the river. have consistently resisted the efforts of the border patrol to apprehend their aliens and have openly stated they would use whatever means necessary to prevent their apprehension. They have kept their gates locked to prevent the border patrol from entering and apprehending aliens on their farms. Recently. they have attempted to contract braceros from Mexico. They have made threats against individual patrol inspectors and continuously attempt to lure Patrol inspectors into arguments concerning the policy of the Immigration Service. Jim Carpenter. who has large acreage along the river west of Mission and near Sullivan City. Tex.. has always created much trouble for the patrol. has locked gates to his property and prevented patrol along the Rio Grande. and during the last cotton season his father assaulted three patrolmen with a shotgun and was later nobilled by a grand jury consisting of Rio Grande Valley farmers. Jim Griffin. exPatrol Inspector and now prominent farmer near Mission. has holdings in the vicinity of Rio Grande City. Tex.. and uses his knowledge of immigration law to. consistently impede the border patrol in its efforts to apprehend aliens illegally in his employment. Mr. Griffin is the head of farm organizations which are constantly attempting to secure a more favorable bracero agreement with Mexico. In the Harlingen area there are several prominent men who have large farms and businesses and who constantly use illegal aliens. Some of these are Bert Adams. Albert Wolf.