ZAPATA COUNTY - Zapata County residents say their backyards are becoming the new stomping grounds for organized crime.
"No one should be living here. As bad as it is, no one should be living here," says Angie Botello, who lives in San Ygnacio.
The historic town sits on the river's edge in the rolling brush lands of Zapata County.
Angie Botello is another one of the 800 people who call San Ygnacio home. She tells us, "There's a lot of smuggling that goes on here. A lot of people that cross all the time. All kinds of drugs. A lot of shootings in the river and everything."
Even deputies take no chances in the area.
"You always have to get prepared for the worst over here," explains Sergeant Greg Gutierrez, of the Zapata County Sheriff's Department.
NEWSCHANNEL 5 learned drugs and people are often stashed in century-old sandstone buildings or nearby thickets of brush.
"We've gotten several loads coming though here, where they just park their vessel, reverse their trucks, then put in whatever cargo they have - narcotics or humans," says Gutierrez.
Smugglers use the locals to do their dirty work.
Salazar tells us, "It's pretty easy to get mixed up. A lot of kids get mixed up with the wrong people."
We spotted fresh tracks along the river, which is evidence someone just crossed here. Gutierrez tells us there are several spots along the river like this.
The county presents a unique challenge. It covers 1,000 square miles. Most of that land stretches along the river and Falcon Lake. There are hundreds of acres of open land. There are just 28 deputies to patrol the entire area.
In addition to that, Zapata County won't have a border wall to slow down criminals.
"This border is very, very vulnerable," says Zapata County Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez.
Gonzalez, who is also the president of the Southwestern Border Sheriff's Coalition, claims it's a growing problem that needs to be acknowledged.
"People who live along the border, they don't know what's going on. They have a false sense of security about what's happening along the border," he explains.
"We can say that we've always had kidnappings and carjackings and things like this, but I tend to disagree, especially in Zapata County," says the sheriff. "We've never had them. In one year, we hit seven."
Gonzalez says run-ins between smugglers and police all along the border are on the rise.
He adds criminals are getting more brazen. The sheriff points to pictures taken in Hidalgo County as proof. They show a man in Mexico boldly aiming his rifle at American officers. The incident happened south of Donna.
A lack of firepower is one of the many issues the sheriff's department faces.
The sheriff admits he's outgunned.
"These cartel members use rocket-propelled grenade launchers and grenades," he explains. "We don't carry grenades with use. We're a police agency. We're most certainly out gunned. Definitely."
However, the sheriff's department isn't unprepared.
Deputies carry fully-automatic weapons.
"This is the P90. It's a machine gun, doesn't look very pretty but we're not looking for pretty. We're looking for what's going to do the trick for us," says Gutierrez.
When the sun goes down, the risk for officers goes up. Falcon Lake is a top pick for smugglers sneaking into the country.
They operate under the cover at darkness. If it wasn't for the special police equipment, deputies would see very little.
The desolation in the area translates into desperation for law enforcement. They don't just want help. They need it.
The sheriff says Washington and the public needs to pay attention. But Gonzalez adds he knows the realities of Washington and admits it could take years to get the help he needs.
Until then, the sheriff says he'll keep patrolling the river, the lake, and the acres of open land trying to protect his country and the people of Zapata County.
