Sheriff's or their representatives from 27 border counties in New Mexico, Texas, Arizona and California are at the Inn of the Mountain Gods near Ruidoso for a two-day meeting to discuss rising crime and violence, drug smuggling and illegal immigration, the Alamogordo Daily News reported.

Also part of what the Daily News described as perhaps the largest gathering of law officers in southern New Mexico were representatives of the U.S. Border Patrol, Texas Rangers, New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and at least one anti-terror officer from Holloman Air Force Base.

Dona Ana County Sheriff Todd Garrison told the group on Monday that the biggest problems he sees along the border are drugs and "coyotes," those who smuggle illegal aliens into the United States, the Daily News said.

"We've had five recent murders and all were committed by illegal aliens," Garrison told the group. "Over the last 15 years, we have seen an increase of illegals that do bad things, as opposed to ones who used to come here as innocent immigrants to work on farms and ranches."

Luna County Sheriff Raymond Cobos noted the current violence from warring drug cartels along the U.S.-Mexico border, including recent killings in the small border city of Palomas, just across from Columbus, N.M., the Daily News said.

But Cobos described the situation in his county just four years ago as much worse, so much so that New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson had to declare a state of emergency, the paper reported.

Since then, the Luna County Sheriff's Office has established a substation in Columbus and the situation has improved with help from the U.S. Border Patrol and the National Guard, deployed along the border as part of Operation Jump Start, Cobos said.

Cobos also reported having mixed feelings about the Minutemen, a group of private citizens volunteering to patrol the border, the paper said.

"Every citizen who picks up the phone and contacts a law enforcement agency is an asset, but I am concerned about any individual or group that steps on dangerous ground and is not trained for it," Cobos told the group.

"Having said that," Cobos added, "the Minutemen in our county have not interfered with our efforts on the border, at least to our knowledge."

Concerning the Minutemen and similar groups, Garrison agreed with Cobos that it was good for citizens to take an interest in vigilance but that he was concerned about their lack of training, the Daily News said.

Garrison also said he was concerned that watch groups operating on the border could attract racists, the paper reported.

Otero County Undersheriff Norbert Sanchez, who stood in for Sheriff John Blansett who was unable to attend because of illness, said he knows there is racism found in some of the volunteer groups on the border.

"I know that for a fact, and we know who some of them are. There is no doubt in my mind," said Sanchez, who added, "We will continue enforcing the laws we swore to uphold. ... That has not changed and will not change." 

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