Yesterday, it was reported by the Examiner, by one of the freelance writers that members of the Los Zedas Cartel had seized two ranches on the US side of the border near Laredo.

“In what could be deemed an act of war against the sovereign borders of the United States, Mexican drug cartels have seized control of at least two American ranches inside the U.S. territory near Laredo, Texas.

Two sources inside the Laredo Police Department confirmed the incident is unfolding and they would continue to coordinate with U.S. Border Patrol today. “We consider this an act of war,” said one police officer on the ground near the scene. There is a news blackout of this incident at this time and the sources inside Laredo PD spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Word broke late last night that Laredo police have requested help from the federal government regarding the incursion by the Los Zetas. It appears that the ranch owners have escaped without incident but their ranches remain in the hands of the blood thirsty cartels.

Laredo Border Patrol is conducting aerial surveillance over the ranches to determine the best way to regain control of the U.S. ranches, according to the Laredo Police department.

The approximate location of the U.S. ranches are10 miles northwest of I-35 off Mines Road and Minerales Annex Road. Just off 1472 (Mines road) near Santa Isabel Creek north of the city of Laredo, Texas.”

Then over at the Confederate Yankee we get this denial via a phone call.

“Twitter exploded a while ago about this story, which claims that heavily-armed Los Zetas gunmen of the Gulf Cartel have taken over ranches on the U.S. side of the border.

My curiosity got the better of me, and so I called the Laredo Police Department, and had a delightful chat with the acting watch commander, Sgt. Perez.

Sgt. Perez informed me that I was her seventh caller about this claim since she came on duty this afternoon. She stipulated two things that blows holes in the invasion claim.

The location of the alleged invasion is outside of their city-limits jurisdiction, so they would not be involved, and;
while they would not be involved in any law enforcement response outside of their jurisdiction, they work closely with the county sheriff’s office and would know if such an event is occurring.

She also provided me the number of the Webb County Sheriff’s Department. The deputy that answered the phone there was less amused, having also dealt with this rumor multiple times in a short amount of time. She also told me that there was no invasion and no law enforcement siege, and that deputies were continuing normal operations.

Don’t believe the hype.”

In actuality neither police agency would directly involved, and neither would the border patrol, it would be a federal (FBI, Homeland Security) jurisdiction. One note the location quoted by the writer at the Examiner IS in Laredo PD’s jurisdiction, in actuality an annexed portion of it.

Another point, calling police departments if you are a media member or blogger will likely get a denial, or a “I’m not at liberty to answer”, or something similiar. As a member of law enforcement in the 90s I answered such calls, many times with vehement denial, even though I knew otherwise.

I’m not saying it did happen, but we can’t say it didn’t until we get word from an agency with operational juridiction.

UPDATE: The Laredo Morning Times kinda gets to the bottom.

“Local law enforcement was bombarded with calls from across the country Saturday asking about a report that the Zetas had taken over two ranches off Mines Road.

But officials with the Laredo Police Department, Webb County Sheriff’s Department and Border Patrol said they knew nothing about such an incident, while Erik Vasys, an FBI spokesman in San Antonio, said the agency does not comment on rumors.

The report, which spread like wildfire among blogs Saturday afternoon, appears to have initially been posted on a blog called Diggers Realm.

The blogger wrote that he got a tip from a San Diego, Calif., minuteman named Jeff Schwilk, who said that the Zetas, former enforcers of the Gulf Cartel, had crossed into the United States and taken over two ranches off Mines Road, about 10 miles northwest of Interstate 35.

Quoting Schwilk, the blogger wrote that there was a standoff between “the unknown size Zeta forces and the U.S. Border Patrol and local law enforcement on two ranches …”

The blogger wrote that the story was confirmed by anonymous sources at LPD.

But Investigator Jose E. Baeza, LPD spokesman, said he had not heard anything about the incident. Also, an LPD sergeant, who was on duty as a watch commander Saturday afternoon, said she had not heard anything about it either.

At about 4:30 p.m., Maru De La Paz, spokeswoman for Webb County Sheriff’s Office, wrote that the report about Zetas taking over ranches in Laredo is not confirmed. “

I’ll still hold my powder until we get a firm denial from the FBI or Homeland Security, but for now it looks like a rumor. One thing, since nothing is happening, why doesn’t the Laredo Morning News send a reporter to the area to investigate?