Washington (AFP) - The FBI has arrested a member of an armed rightwing militia group accused of illegally detaining migrants at the US-Mexico border, officials said Saturday. Larry Mitchell Hopkins, 70, was arrested for illegal possession of a weapon. His small but well-armed United Constitutional Patriots (UCP) group says it watches the border, stands guard over people who want to hand themselves in to border patrol and pursues those who don't. New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas described Hopkins, who also goes by the name of "Striker," as a "dangerous felon who should not have weapons around children and families." "Today's arrest by the FBI indicates clearly that the rule of law should be in the hands of trained law enforcement officials, not armed vigilantes," he added. Hopkins was said to have been detaining migrants near Sunland Park, New Mexico.
>cont. In recent months, thousands of migrants have arrived in Mexico, primarily Central Americans fleeing poverty and violence at home. US President Donald Trump has described them as a threat to national security, demanding billions of dollars from Congress to build a wall on the southern border.
UCP members insist they will patrol the border until the wall is built. "We're here to assist the border patrol because they are so short handed," Hopkins told AFP earlier this month. The group – made up mostly of older veterans – enjoys an enthusiastic social media following. They are equipped with tactical gear, rifles and even custom patches.
Hopkins could be heard during lengthy radio broadcasts streamed online several times a week. The border vigilante movement is well-established, with the Southern Poverty Law Center documenting "questionable apprehensions of migrants by private citizens" from as far back as 1999. In a statement Saturday, the Mexican foreign ministry expressed "deep concern" about such groups. "This type of practice can lead to a violation of the human rights of people who migrate or request asylum or refuge in the United States," it said.
>Hector Balderas Fucking foreigners are now controlling our own government, we're officially fucked >YOU OWN NOTHING GOY1M!
>Actually use the gear for a purpose where it is necessary >Get off your ass and take action, dress appropriately for an advantage >"LARPer" Meanwhile (You) >Collects camps, carriers, plates, gears and guns that he'll never use >All he'll do is fantasize about using them in a real situation
Jacob Hughes
>New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas >Hector Balderas Yeah, I can't see how there might be any conflict of interests in his treatment of someone going after Mexican border crossers.
Colton Campbell
>haha yeah man, the FBI are just enforcing the law guys.
Landon Cruz
He posted pictures of himself with a gun on facebook.
They saw it. He got arrested. It's not fucking rocket surgery.
Dylan Wood
Read you fucking smooth brain. Holy shit you are such a fucking idiot kill yourself dude
Grayson Bennett
militia "kidnapping" illegals at the border is hot in the media right now, so the hammer came down on their arbitrary enforcement of the law
Gavin Wood
>kill yourself dude calm down you blue pilled faggot, i cant believe there are still retards that haven't been paying attention to this political circus enforcement arm that is the FBI
>Felons posting pictures of themselves being felons on PUBLIC social media
>guys, why is this enforcement so arbitrary
uh....
Colton Perry
you seriously believe they weren't watching the head of a militia before the footage of them arresting illegals was released?
Angel Cruz
>the rule of law should be in the hands of trained law enforcement officials, not armed vigilantes rich coming from a mexican official in a narco state
Levi Rogers
They were doing more than that. They were the head of the militia
Isaac Cox
maybe, i wouldnt be surprised if they deliberately create militias as a sort of bug zapper. i just think the democrat faction of the FBI was forced by the democrat party to make a show in this case.
Christian Reed
He got arrested for being a felon in possession of a firearm, no charges related to the arrests yet.
Hunter Davis
Where are they holding these people after capturing them? I doubt they shot any of them and I can't imagine they have the resources to run their own internment camps.
>veterans >tactical gear >even ''PATCHES'' I knew they were going to be a bunch of overweight fuckfaces. What is it with ''rightwing'' and morbidly obese fucks?
Luke Foster
does he wipe his ass on the ceiling?
Jayden Ortiz
They probably call the Border Patrol
James Morris
They held them for CBP.
Xavier Martin
>be felon >be prohibited from owning guns >posts pictures of you having guns on facebook >also make sure that you're super notorious for being a #basedandredpilled defender of America Thats some subhuman IQ right there.
David Roberts
He's not a ripe military age male. Normally, he wouldn't be doing that, because normally people wouldn't illegally run across the border.
Gavin Reed
The US is beyond saving politically and demographically (that is in the sense that non-whites statistically do not support firearms ownership). The move is not to fight for the country - against the force of the government and a significant portion of the population which welcomes this shift with open arms - but to band together and carve out somewhere for ourselves, domestically or abroad.
Liam Cook
Not an adequate excuse at all.
Caleb Scott
Overweight boomer detected
Nicholas Lopez
>prohibited person SHALL
Jordan Sanders
okay jose
Eli Murphy
>fronthole governor is sliding the blame off to the spic AG Women in office, not even once.
Zachary Stewart
Most felons are subhumans
Tyler Evans
The stupid stormnigger was a convicted felon going on tv and showing off his guns. That dumbfuck got what he deserved for being so retarded.
