On Saturday, the FBI arrested the leader of a group that claims to be “assisting” United States Customs and Border Patrol in apprehending illegal immigrants along the United States-Mexico border.
Reuters reports that the FBI took Larry Hopkins, also known as “Johnny Horton,” into custody in New Mexico, “on a federal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.”
Hopkins is the leader of the United Concerned Patriots, who have been “camped out on a rotating basis” along the United States southern border near Sunland Park, New Mexico. The group isn’t new to the area; a small band of militia members has been stationed in Sunland Park since mid-February.
What is new, however, are complaints. New Mexico state government announced last week that it was cracking down on the group after photos and videos emerged of them rounding up and detaining migrants who crossed the border under the nose of border patrol agents. The videos, which UCP posted itself, show the group capturing illegal immigrants, cordoning them off, and then ordering them to “stop, sit down, and wait” until the CBP arrived to handle the situation.
UCP claims to have “arrested” more than 5,000 migrants since taking up residence at the New Mexico-Mexico border in mid-February. – READ MORE