5/11/2000 783

SUIT FILED TO DOCUMENT ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION BY SHADOWY BORDER MILITARY GROUP

On 4-27-00, the Center filed suit against the semi-covert military operation, Joint Task Force 6 (JTF-6) and the Department of Defense for failure to release information under the Freedom of Information Act. In the last ten years, JTF-6 and the Border Patrol have conducted thousands of environmentally destructive missions along the U.S.-Mexico border, including extensive road-building, construction of border walls and fences, and installation of high-powered lighting, in furtherance of the futile "War on Drugs." The rapidly increasing militarization of the Southwestern border endangers an incredible number of imperiled species-there are over 100 threatened, endangered, or special management species in the Arizona border region alone. Tragically, the greatly increased Border Patrol and JTF-6 presence is also pushing would be immigrants into the remotest and hottest areas along the border. Many die during the crossing.

The case is being argued by Richard Mietz (Santa Fe).