Pressure mounts on ‘Border Patriots’ as City of Sunland Park, railroad co.show up at campsite

The United Constitutional Patriots, a group of armed veterans patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border near the Anapra Gap, received visits from Sunland Park Department of public works, Sunland Park Police and railroad law enforcement Monday.

On Friday, a spokesman for the group told ABC-7 it has detained migrants while Border Patrol agents arrive. The Anapra Gap is the spot where the border barrier ends near Mount Cristo Rey. Groups of undocumented immigrants regularly enter the U.S. via that opening in the border barrier.

Representatives with all three agencies confronted two members of the militia-like group. Most of the group’s members went home for the Easter Break.

Russell Hanson, a rancher who owns land near the group’s campsite, also showed up on Monday. Hanson, who declined to give ABC-7 an on-camera interview, said he owns land west of the railroad tracks. The group’scampsite is east of the tracks.

Hanson said he told the group he did not want armed people on his land.

Soon after Hanson met with the group, Sunland park public works arrived at the scene, escorted by Sunland Park police. Employees with the public works department erected “no tresspassing” signs east of the campsite. The city employees let the group know they were not to camp on City of Sunland Park property.

Railroad police then arrived and measured the distance from the tracks to the campsite. The railroad police officers let the group know they are not allowed to camp on railroad property.

When asked if the group is tresspassing on railroad property, a railroad police officer said, “Thats what we’re trying to ascertain at the time. I’m not at liberty to disclose any other information right now.”

A Sunland Park public works employees told ABC-7 the group has until Friday to leave its current campsite.