Arizona residents chase away Minutemen with shotguns

Human rights groups and Arizona residents say the Minutemen are unwelcome armed vigilantes.

One volunteer searching for people dying in the desert Tuesday sent this report of the Minutemen, who are out in full force in the areas of Green Valley and Arivaca.

"They park at Continental and the frontage road in Green Valley on a regular basis and yesterday they met in numbers in the parking lots of the Amado Mini Market, The Longhorn restaurant and the Cow Palace."

Already, some area businessmen have chased Minutemen off their property with shotguns.

On the road to Arivaca from Nogales, the buses labeled "Wackenhut" are usually parked near the Cow Palace and Longhorn restaurants, and along highways in all directions, waiting to be filled with migrants. Wackenhut, now Geo Group, is part of the new U.S.-hired security at the border taking over duties of the Border Patrol.

Human rights volunteers said the Minutemen's presence at this time is an overt attempt to dis-empower and discourage Arizona residents from mobilizing against permanent checkpoints along I-19.

"Our communities south of Tucson need to pass an ordinance against the Minutemen vigilantes like Austin, Texas did recently," one volunteer said.