2006年VOA标准英语-Alleged Mexican Military Incursion Creates

By Greg Flakus
Houston
26 January 2006

An alleged¹ incursion into the United States by Mexican soldiers guarding a drug shipment is helping² stir debate over security on the US-Mexico border.
 

Police photo of border incursion   
  
Border security advocates in the United States are expressing outrage³ over what they say was an incursion by armed Mexican troops into U.S. territory. But Mexican government officials deny any such event took place and suggest that drug traffickers may have donned army uniforms to carry out a smuggling⁴ operation.

The alleged incident occurred in a remote area of west Texas, about 100 kilometers east of El Paso. Deputies from the Hudspeth County sheriff's department pursued three cars that they suspected were being used for drug smuggling. Before they reached the Rio Grande river, which serves as the border there, the deputies seized one vehicle, which contained 560 kilograms of marijuana. One car made it across the border to Mexico, but another vehicle became stuck in the river. Then men dressed in military uniforms appeared on the scene with what the Texas lawmen describe as a military-style Humvee with a mounted machine gun. These uniformed men removed what the lawmen believe was a drug shipment from the stalled vehicle and then set it on fire.

Hudspeth County Sheriff Arvin West, speaking to VOA by phone, says he is certain these were Mexican soldiers. "There is no doubt in my mind it is Mexican military and it has been that way for years," he said.

Officials here in Texas have expressed concern that such incidents could result in a gun battle between U.S. lawmen and Mexican troops. Sheriff West says that is already part of the border reality. "It is not a matter of if it happens, it has already happened. It is a matter of getting somebody killed," he said.

Sheriff West says there have been dozens of incidents involving Mexican military incursions on the border and that in a few cases U.S. Border Patrol agents have been wounded. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says most reports of such incidents have been, as he put it, "overblown." Sheriff West and Border Patrol union officials, however, say these incidents are all too real and that the situation could grow worse if nothing is done.

Sheriff West is not too sure the security fence called for under a recently approved bill in Congress would do much good, but he does think more law enforcement personnel on the border would help. "What would be effective is, one, put more Border Patrol agents down here and two, give us the means to hire more personnel to put down there to assist the Border Patrol as we are doing with Operation Linebacker through the Texas Sheriff coalition⁵ at present date," he said.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is under the Department of Homeland Security, is investigating the incident in Hudspeth County and has also asked the Mexican government for a thorough investigation⁶. Texas Governor Rick Perry has also ordered an investigation, saying that it does not matter if the armed men who crossed the border were Mexican soldiers or people dressed as soldiers. He says, either way, what happened is unacceptable.

1 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

4 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

5 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

6 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。