Illegal.

This is coolbert:

1848 deja vu all over again? I hope not.

American soldiers on the American side of the border between USA and Mexico [and there is no doubt it was the American side of the border] detained, frisked, disarmed by armed Mexican troops crossing over into U.S. territory. Go read the whole thing.

"Mexican Soldiers Disarmed U.S. Army Troops At Border"

"Two U.S. Army soldiers sat in an unmarked Chevrolet Tahoe owned by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on the west side of an El Paso County, Texas, Colonia known as Las Pampas."

"It was April 13, and the Army sergeant and private had set up a hasty observation post north of the Rio Grande River, but south of the border fence in U.S. territory."

A simple mistake obviously! But troubling. Tensions already high between the USA and Mexico over illegal border crossings. In almost all cases border crosses moving from south to north. This is not even a border crossing anyhow.

Deja vu 1848 all over again?

Think of the Mexican-American War of 1848. The border at that time disputed. Americans claiming the Rio Grande River as the divide and the Mexican claiming the Neuces River as the divide. Neuces somewhat to the north of the Rio Grande, the land in between disputed and no-mans-land.

American troops having crossed into the disputed territory, land-between-the-rivers and set up camp, even raising the American flag. Such a measure provoking an armed attack by Mexican army troops. The rest history as they say.

Devoted readers to the blog please do not read something into this that does exist. This is not a manufactured incident. Or is it?

coolbert.