‘Splodey Escalation Thursday
Let’s lead off with a significant escalation on our border:
Antonio Céspedes Saldierna, 74, a Texas rancher who worked on both sides of the border, was driving near his ranch in Tamaulipas, Mexico, just south of Brownsville, Texas, when he was killed by an IED, KRGV-TV reported.
Also killed was Horacio Lopez Peña. Ninfa Griselda Ortega, Lopez’s wife, was hospitalized with injuries.
In a statement, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said the deadly explosion was part of a “growing threat posed by cartel activity along our southern border.” He encouraged ranchers and those who work near the border to “exercise extreme caution.”
One suspects that a few bits of barbed wire would not stop IED-planters from depositing same on the US side, too.
Government officials in Tamaulipas recently warned of explosive devices on rural roads near the border between Reynosa and Rio Bravo.
In a statement, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said the deadly explosion was part of a “growing threat posed by cartel activity along our southern border.” He encouraged ranchers and those who work near the border to “exercise extreme caution.”
“I encourage everyone in the agricultural industry to stay vigilant, remain aware of their surroundings, and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. Additionally, you can avoid dirt roads and remote areas, refrain from touching unfamiliar objects that could be explosive devices, limit travel to daylight hours, stay on main roads, and avoid cartel-controlled regions,” said Miller. Fox News
Gotta wonder about a Texas pol telling ranchers to avoid dirt roads…has he ever BEEN to this state? A little tone deaf there.
Seems to me that if flooding the country with illegals, and killing thousands of Americans with drugs wasn’t sufficient to officially declare the narcocartels as terrorists, planting IEDs for civilians to run over should certainly qualify.
And in Mediterranean news, two oil tankers which had recently called at Russian ports suffered damage when explosives, believed triggered by timers, went off.
At least five vessels have been damaged, including explosions on the Greek-managed tankers Seacharm and Seajewel which Reuters reported last week. The incidents have raised concerns of a new security threat in the typically safe waters of the Mediterranean, just as the shipping industry is dealing with attacks in the busy Red Sea route.
It is not clear who is responsible for the alleged attacks. The vessels had recently called at Russian ports, according to ship tracking data and sources.
Limpet mines are cheap, easily attached magnetically to ships’ hulls, and effective.
The location of the blasts on the vessels’ hulls, the type of blast and other evidence suggest limpet mines, said the sources who had knowledge of the matter but who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Strong indications suggest that BPM 1 or BPM 2-type limpet mines were used,” one of the sources said. The source was referring to explosives used on the Searcharm and Seajewel, which were damaged in the Mediterranean in January and February.Reuters
Needless to say, the BPM mines are Russian in origin.
It is donut-shaped with 11 magnets mounted on its base. The mine is detonated when its spring-loaded striker is released and impinges on the detonator. The striker is retained by two lead strips, which, because of the spring tension, fail by metal fatigue. Arming occurs after 5 to 20 minutes, and detonation occurs between 5 minutes and 832 hours. James Madison University
Not exactly a precise timing system, but 2.8 kg of Tritonal against your hull is not gonna help its waterproof qualities any.
That is quite the timing variable, between 5 and 49,920 minutes.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller’s being a bit tone deaf there. I know he’s been to a few Texas ranches and farms.
To paraphrase Hee Haw – “If it weren’t for dirt roads I’d have no roads at all.”
I’m beginning to think that the move to privateering has some merit.
https://nypost.com/2025/02/24/opinion/privateers-ahoy-hit-cartels-with-this-old-school-tactic/
When do we sail?
Count me in!
Are “Letters of Marque” also good for Land Operations? Or will they only be good for The High Seas and River Fleets? “Away Boarders…once more into the breach, Lads!” Speaking of boarders…it is way yonder past time that we secured our “borders” by any means necessary, up to and including extreme violence.
No. A letter of Marque is special the laws of the sea. It is issued to the ship and not the owner or Captain. Typically this would be a cargo ship that primarily was hauling cargo but upon opportunity would take it. They could seize a ship flagged to a nation the country was at war with. We aren’t at war with any country.
A privateer was more of a combatant. Their ships were designed for combat and would hunt for enemy vessels and sometimes hail small amounts of cargo.
When I was on the Board and salvage crew I was issued an M-1 Carbine. I ask one of the Gunners mates when should I use it, and he says that if any crewmember gives you a ration of shit, just shoot him.
Christopher Wray released a memo stating that the event in Texas was workplace violence and not politically motivated and was white supremacists, who are the real problem.
In less explosive but sad news US Marine Gene Hackman, wife and dog were found dead at home. Carbon Monoxide poisoning is the suspected cause.
He was in so many movies I loved it is impossible to pick a favorite. But being the power figure that everyone loved to hate was his specialty. Ramsey, Lex Luthor, Little Bill just to name a few. But there were so many it is impossible to pick one.
Thanks for the update 5JC, i hadn’t seen anything about suspected CO. Was hoping it wasn’t some sort of murder / suicide thing.
Sad, and if it was accidental, may all involved RIP
“One suspects that a few bits of barbed wire would not stop IED-planters from depositing same on the US side, too.”
At 20kv the human body becomes a french fry.
But just to be safe, place warning signs in both English and
French on the fence. Ok, maybe Vietnamese on a few.
Mandarin for sure.
Five minutes; okay ten total to first boom. So arm after setting mine in place (underwater, in the dark). Gotcha.
832 hours; well HMS Cambelton beat that by several weeks.
HMS Cambeltown, oops.
Don’t we have a shit ton of drones to solve the problem of eliminating the heads of terrorist organizations?
Seems I recall high order detonations as a method for a change of leadership on more than one occasion.