The Yuma Patriots and the Minutemen join together for 48 hours of vigilance at the border on September 16 and the 17th. The Minutemen and the Yuma Patriots will be unarmed. The Yuma Patriots will also be running Air Patrol on Saturday utilizing reconnaissance and low flying support.

Flash Sharrar, leader of the Yuma Patriots said, The Yuma Patriots and the Minutemen will shut this border down for 48 hours to protect the crops of our American Farmers. The American Farming Industry is losing thousands of dollars daily due to illegal aliens trampling across farmers’ crops. Vegetable prices will be completely through the roof due to the Government not doing their job in protecting our borders.

The number of illegal aliens found dead in the Border Patrol's Yuma sector is approaching a record high. The number of rescues by the Border Patrol this year already has. With record numbers of illegal border crossers this year, the US border patrol is using different strategies to both deter and rescue. The Yuma Sector Border Patrol strive to do their best with the very few that they have. The Yuma Sector patrols 118 miles of border with Mexico, between the Yuma-Pima County line in Arizona and the Imperial Sand Dunes in California. The sector has responsibility for Yuma, La Paz and Mojave Counties in Arizona, the Eastern-most areas of Imperial, Riverside, and Los Angeles Counties in California, and the four Southern-most counties in Nevada.

The Yuma Patriots hand delivered flyers around the city of Yuma on August 30 through September 2, yet another way to reach out to the community. The flyer suggested to “Help keep America Safe,” to be a “Good American.” Explaining that people unlawfully coming across our borders are committing a criminal act and are referred to as “Illegal Aliens”. For people to be an extra set of eyes and ears for the Border Patrol and call their toll free 800 number, Courtesy of the Yuma Patriots, stating “We save lives.” In addition, the flyer was advertised in the Yuma Sun newspaper for 4 days.

Yuma sector Border Patrol agents apprehended a total of 961 illegal aliens. That number included 144 aliens arrested by agents in 13 smuggling load vehicles.

Near Yuma, Arizona, baseball-sized rocks thrown by illegal aliens damaging a rotor brought down a U.S. Border Patrol helicopter. The pilot was helping agents on the ground apprehend 17 people attempting to illegally enter the United States. Traffickers of people and drugs have become progressively more violent, said Michael Gramley, Yuma sector Border Patrol public relations officer. Gramley said the rock throwers were believed to be smugglers.

104 illegal aliens were apprehended in Yuma at a trailer park, 69 men, 30 women and five juveniles, all from Mexico, were taken into custody by the Border Patrol. Four vehicles were also seized in the raid. This resulted from a call of a concerned citizen who notified the Border Patrol of drop houses in seven trailers in a mobile home park.

The Yuma Sector Border Patrol is averaging about 400 to 450 arrests each day across the sector, according to Gramley. Gramley said that the number of load vehicles agents are catching is increasing. Since Oct. 1, 2004, agents in the Yuma sector have seized 1,030 vehicles involved in alien smuggling, according to a release.