![\"UCP\"](\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/United-Constitutional-Patriots-e1555856666332.jpg\")
\nOfficials said on Saturday that they had arrested the leader of the United Constitutional Patriots, a right-wing militia that had been detaining migrants and turning them over to Border Patrol.CreditCreditPaul Ratje\/Agence France-Presse \u2014 Getty Images<\/p>\n
Ex-PH2 sends us Skippy’s link about some folks who may have had their hearts in the right place, but their brains were in a different time zone.<\/p>\n
By Simon Romero<\/strong><\/p>\n ALBUQUERQUE \u2014 The F.B.I. on Saturday arrested the leader of a right-wing militia that was detaining migrant families at gunpoint near the border in southern New Mexico, as the group faced a torrent of criticism for its tactics.<\/p>\n Hector Balderas, New Mexico\u2019s attorney general, said federal agents had arrested the leader, Larry Mitchell Hopkins, who had been operating under the alias Johnny Horton Jr. Mr. Balderas said in a statement that Mr. Hopkins was arrested on charges of firearms possession by a felon.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a dangerous felon who should not have weapons around children and families,\u201d Mr. Balderas said. \u201cToday\u2019s arrest by the F.B.I. indicates clearly that the rule of law should be in the hands of trained law enforcement officials, not armed vigilantes.\u201d<\/p>\n The firearms charge against Mr. Hopkins is relatively minor. But it is likely the start of a deeper investigation into his activities and those of the militia, and opens the way for the authorities to bring more serious charges like kidnapping and impersonating a police officer or an employee of the United States.<\/p>\n Mr. Hopkins\u2019s arrest comes as tensions rise over ultraconservative paramilitary groups operating along the southwestern border. Professed militias have a long history of targeting immigrants from Latin America, tracing back to the Ku Klux Klan\u2019s creation of its own border patrol in the 1970s. Record numbers of Central American migrants apprehended by federal authorities in recent months have been accompanied by a new surge in militia activity on the border.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Felon in possession of a firearm? Kidnapping and impersonating, this not-so-bright crew had best ‘lawer’ up most ricky-tick. The rest of the article my be viewed here: New York Times<\/a>. NYT is a metered site, which is why Ex sent the link to me, so use your own judgement if you want to continue reading the article.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"