I was on a job near Asherton Tx about 30 miles from border here about a month ago, it was pretty Wild West. You know it’s bad when the fence crew who is all Hispanic is packing AR-15 for there protection. I carried a side arm and an AR the whole time. Was definitely looking over my shoulder. There was more 2 leg coyote sign on that ranch then 4. Holes in fence, backpacks left stashed in the brush, you’d find shoes, water bottles and on and on. Was never so glad to get of a ranch. I don’t know how the locals make it with all that going on. You know it’s bad when they were getting ready to reinforce the bunkhouse with additional security and cameras for fear of being overrun by cartel in the night. Everyone took there AR to there bunk rooms at night. Sad state of affairs for sure.
I can only imagine what that area around Carrizo Springs resembles today. I trapped two ranches near Asherton a decade ago and I remember when I first stopped into town, having driven down from Nebraska where we lived then, I had an appetite and the only place open in Carrizo Springs was a Mexican restaurant that served Pizza. I thought, cool, I like Mexican food and I like Pizza, so I stopped in around 9:00PM. No big deal. I did notice I was the fairest skinned dude in the place, and that I got quite a few stares, but what really amazed me was how busy it was in this sleepy town after 9:00PM. When I told the ranch manager this story when I rolled into the bunkhouse, he told me I had just eaten dinner with the cartel bosses in the area. That is their restaurant and everyone knows it.
Well, not this greenhorn!
The pizza was really good.
Post-script: I didn't stop off there on my way down the next year.
Stay safe yotegitter!
Blessings,
Mark
