Rain, Response, Rescues

Border Patrol Agents Assist Nogales Community

Tucson, Ariz. – As morning monsoon storms were creating extensive flooding in the Nogales area, Nogales Border Patrol agents were busy assisting other agencies with multiple vehicle accidents and rescues during and after heavy downpours.

Flood waters threatened several homes with increasingly high water levels while agents hurriedly extracted elderly homeowners and safely transported them to higher ground.

Border Patrol agents are often called upon to shift from law enforcement to rescue-mode in a moment’s notice. By collaborating with first responders, Border Patrol agents help make communities safer and stronger.

CBP welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity to the Border Patrol and remain anonymous by calling (877) 872-7435 toll free.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control, and protection of our Nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Carrizo Springs Border Patrol Agents Respond in Aftermath of Severe Weather

Microburst Knocks Out Power, Damages Homes and Businesses

Del Rio, Texas – In the early morning hours of June 27 the town of Carrizo Springs was rocked by what many first believed to be a tornado. County work crews and emergency responders quickly scrambled to assess the damage as the town sat crippled by a power outage that consumed the entire city. Agents from the Carrizo Springs Border Patrol Station were quickly assembled and deployed into the town to assist Dimmit County deputies and constables with barricading unsafe roadways, diverting traffic and locating citizens in need of aid.

As dawn broke, the effects of what meteorologists have categorized as a microburst - which is a localized column of sinking air, producing damaging divergent and straight-line winds at the surface of the earth - could be seen throughout the community. Trees were uprooted, power poles snapped in half and entire roofs lay crumbled in the streets. Businesses in downtown reported broken windows, some significant structural damage and others found merchandise lying in the streets.

As is now typical in Carrizo Springs, roadways quickly began to congest with early morning oilfield and commuter traffic. Every traffic light in town was inoperative, debris littered the roads and local community leaders organized to discuss how their small work force would react to the crisis. As they took to the streets they found Border Patrol agents already in place to assist local deputies with traffic at every major intersection and manning barricades at roads riddled with large debris and live downed power lines. Border Patrol deployment allowed sheriff’s deputies to mobilize for emergency call outs and continue searching for any citizens that may have been in distress.

An Emergency Operations Center, where local and emergency officials gathered to coordinate efforts, was activated and a Regional Mobile Response Command trailer, under the direction of the Middle Rio Grande Development Council- Homeland Security Department, was deployed to allow interagency communications. The Integrated Frontline Resources Alliance Campaign (which is an interactive partnership between Federal, State and Local Law Enforcement, Private Industry Leaders and Petroleum Industry Executives working together to ensure the safety of those who live, work, transit or conduct business operations in the region) initiated a call tree to contact partners for collection and dissemination of pertinent information. For many involved this was the first opportunity to see the efforts of the IFRAC initiative come together and react to a real-life scenario in the interest of public safety.

Temperatures continued to climb near 100 degrees as electrical services could not be restored and emergency generator services remained nonfunctional at the local hospital and nursing home. Local officials then began preparations to evacuate patients and transport them to emergency shelters. With the assistance of IFRAC partner Chesapeake Energy Corporation, mechanics from NOMAC Drilling Company arrived at the hospital and promptly repaired the emergency generator system. The commitment to the community by these companies spared many fragile individuals from having to be exposed to unneeded discomfort and a potentially life-threatening move to a non-sterilize environment.

Electrical services were reportedly restored to all but a handful of residents by late afternoon. However, to ensure the safety and well being of all, sheriff’s deputies, constables, and Border Patrol agents again took to the streets and conducted public broadcast announcements via vehicle public address systems in an attempt to locate anyone still in need of assistance or medical treatment.

As a result of the collaborating efforts of all the agencies involved, the community of Carrizo Springs reported no injuries, illnesses or deaths. All roadways were cleared of debris and barricades removed by the end of the day. Although emergency shelters remained opened throughout the evening, there were no residents reported to need lodging, and all public works systems were fully functional by the end of the day.

County Judge Frank Ponce stated, “I want to thank the agents of the U.S. Border Patrol for their assistance. They were the first ones to respond and have been here the entire time. You guys have never let us down, not once.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Summer Weather Dangers: How to Stay Safe

Summertime can bring a range of weather challenges and potential dangers. Some of these threats can occur with little warning, so do what you can to prepare by assembling an emergency kit and forming a plan of action.

Find out what you should do if faced with the following weather dangers:

Lightning: In the U.S., lightning kills more people each year than tornadoes and hurricanes. If you can hear thunder, you are within striking distance and should seek shelter in an enclosed building or vehicle. While indoors, don't use a corded phone, a computer or other electrical appliances; and avoid contact with plumbing (don't shower, wash hands, do laundry, etc.). Learn more about lightning safety and get tips on what to do if you're outdoors during a thunderstorm.

Floods: If you have time, move essential items to an upper floor. Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water. Do not walk through moving water that is six inches or higher. If floodwaters rise around your car, abandon the car and move to higher ground. Learn more about what to do before, during, and after a flood.

Hurricanes: If you can't evacuate, get inside and secure external and internal doors. Stay away from windows and doors and take refuge in a small interior room, closet, or hallway on the lowest level. Learn more about what to do before, during, and after a hurricane.

Tornadoes: Storm cellars and basements are the safest locations, but if they aren't available, go to an interior room, closet, or hallway on the lowest level. Stay away from windows, doors, outside walls, and corners. If you are in a trailer or mobile home, go to a sturdy, nearby building. Learn more about what to do before, during, and after a tornado.

Extreme Heat: Stay indoors as much as possible. Consider spending the hottest part of the day in an air-conditioned public building, such as a library or shopping mall. Never leave children or pets alone in vehicles. Learn more about what to do in extreme heat.

Wildfires: If your home is threatened by a wildfire, you must evacuate. If you have time, bring an emergency kit that includes copies of important documents. Learn more about what to do before, during, and after a wildfire.

Earthquakes: If you are indoors, stay away from windows, doors, and outside walls and get under a sturdy table or desk. If you are outside, keep away from buildings, streetlights, and utility wires. If you're in a moving vehicle, safely stop the vehicle in an open area and stay inside. Learn more about what to do before, during, and after an earthquake.

The Departments of Interior and Agriculture Issue National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy Phase II National Report

Conducted extensive public outreach to prepare for upcoming wildland fire season

WASHINGTON - After a mild winter and low precipitation levels in many parts of the nation, the risk of wildland fire this season poses a challenge for the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture which, together, respond to more than 20,000 wildfires per year. Wildland fires today are becoming more complex, particularly in areas where urban populations are situated near forested and rangeland areas. To address those challenges, the two departments today issued A National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy, Phase II National Report, which focuses on restoring and maintaining resilient landscapes, creating fire-adapted communities, and responding to wildfires. The report was crafted by working closely with Federal, state and local governments, tribes, non-governmental organizations, and citizens.

"We have mapped out and established new levels of coordination, transparency and communication between the Federal Government and all of its partners," said Rhea Suh, Interior Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget. "Our collaboration has enabled us to focus on specific regional priorities and to develop more focused strategies to address the challenges."

"The Cohesive Strategy is an unprecedented collaborative planning and risk analysis document to improve response and resiliency in the event of wildland fire," said Butch Blazer, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment. "Phase II sets a strong foundation for the type of diverse interests and activities involved when wildfire strikes."

The Cohesive Strategy builds on successes of the past while incorporating a new collaborative approach to managing a complex national problem - wildfire. This new approach includes all the partners involved in fire management and gives each a voice and a role in developing solutions to the collective problem. The Strategy will be implemented throughout 2012 using a three-phased approach and the involvement of a variety of stakeholders. It will be adaptable to different geographic scales: national, regional, and local, with a goal of promoting meaningful collaboration among stakeholders in an ‘all-lands, all-hands’ approach.

In Phase I, the national framework and goals were defined. In Phase II, regional assessments were completed to address and scale the national goals to the needs and challenges found at regional and local levels. Regional Strategy Committees representing three regions of the country - the West, Southeast, and Northeast, examined the processes by which wildland fire, or the absence of wildland fire, threatens areas and issues that Americans value, including wildlife habitats, watershed quality and local economies, among others.

"Discussing and addressing our wildland fire problems in a national, cohesive approach is a step in the right direction," said Randy Dye, President of the National Association of State Foresters. “We all recognize the importance of the document in framing future dialogue on wildland fire management issues. The states’ commitment to participate in the process ensured that a broad range of interests were considered and melded into the report."

The third and final phase of the cohesive strategy will build on the work from Phases I and II, as regional and national risk-based analyses and action plans are completed. The risk-based analyses will examine potential consequences, benefits and alternative actions designed by the regions to enhance decision-making across jurisdictional boundaries.

For more information on the National Cohesive Strategy visit www.forestsandrangelands.gov

Former BP Engineer Arrested for Obstruction of Justice in Connection with the Deepwater Horizon Criminal Investigation

First Criminal Charges to Result from the Deepwater Horizon Task Force Investigation

WASHINGTON—Kurt Mix, a former engineer for BP plc, was arrested today on charges of intentionally destroying evidence requested by federal criminal authorities investigating the April 20, 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, announced Attorney General Eric Holder; Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jim Letten of the Eastern District of Louisiana; and Kevin Perkins, Acting Executive Assistant Director for the FBI’s Criminal Cyber Response and Services Branch.

Mix, 50, of Katy, Texas, was charged with two counts of obstruction of justice in a criminal complaint filed in the Eastern District of Louisiana and unsealed today.

“The department has filed initial charges in its investigation into the Deepwater Horizon disaster against an individual for allegedly deleting records relating to the amount of oil flowing from the Macondo well after the explosion that led to the devastating tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Attorney General Holder. “The Deepwater Horizon Task Force is continuing its investigation into the explosion and will hold accountable those who violated the law in connection with the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history.”

According to the affidavit in support of a criminal complaint and arrest warrant, on April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon rig experienced an uncontrolled blowout and related explosions while finishing the Macondo well. The catastrophe killed 11 men on board and resulted in the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history.

According to court documents, Mix was a drilling and completions project engineer for BP. Following the blowout, Mix worked on internal BP efforts to estimate the amount of oil leaking from the well and was involved in various efforts to stop the leak. Those efforts included, among others, Top Kill, the failed BP effort to pump heavy mud into the blown out wellhead to try to stop the oil flow. BP sent numerous notices to Mix requiring him to retain all information concerning Macondo, including his text messages.

On or about October 4, 2010, after Mix learned that his electronic files were to be collected by a vendor working for BP’s lawyers, Mix allegedly deleted on his iPhone a text string containing more than 200 text messages with a BP supervisor. The deleted texts, some of which were recovered forensically, included sensitive internal BP information collected in real-time as the Top Kill operation was occurring, which indicated that Top Kill was failing. Court documents allege that, among other things, Mix deleted a text he had sent on the evening of May 26, 2010, at the end of the first day of Top Kill. In the text, Mix stated, among other things, “Too much flowrate—over 15,000.” Before Top Kill commenced, Mix and other engineers had concluded internally that Top Kill was unlikely to succeed if the flow rate was greater than 15,000 barrels of oil per day (BOPD). At the time, BP’s public estimate of the flow rate was 5,000 BOPD—three times lower than the minimum flow rate indicated in Mix’s text.

In addition, on or about August 19, 2011, after learning that his iPhone was about to be imaged by a vendor working for BP’s outside counsel, Mix allegedly deleted a text string containing more than 100 text messages with a BP contractor with whom Mix had worked on various issues concerning how much oil was flowing from the Macondo well after the blowout. By the time Mix deleted those texts, he had received numerous legal hold notices requiring him to preserve such data and had been communicating with a criminal defense lawyer in connection with the pending grand jury investigation of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

A complaint is merely a charge, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, Mix faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 as to each count.‪

The Deepwater Horizon Task Force, based in New Orleans, is supervised by Assistant Attorney General Breuer and led by Deputy Assistant Attorney General John D. Buretta, who serves as the director of the task force. The task force includes prosecutors from the Criminal Division and the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana and other U.S. Attorneys’ Offices; and investigating agents from the FBI, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Interior, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other federal law enforcement agencies.

The task force’s investigation of this and other matters concerning the Deepwater Horizon disaster is ongoing.

The case is being prosecuted by task force Deputy Directors Derek Cohen and Avi Gesser of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; task force prosecutors Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Pickens, II of the Eastern District of Louisiana; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Cullen of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.