Old Pueblo
Bronze Member
Found these date nails today and some other interesting stuff at the same place, right alongside a rural ranch road in southern Pima County, AZ. Anyway, there is a barbed wire fence running alongside the road, and in this wash they were using some old railroad ties for strong, sturdy fence posts. So I stopped to try my luck and I found a few, the 1923, 1924 and 1942, probably from Southern Pacific, since they were the big RR company in this part of the country.
As I was checking the fence posts, I noticed alongside the road, tucked behind some catclaw and mesquite, a bunch of stuff from the illegal aliens, which frequently pass through this area. You see little illegal alien camps like this all over in Southern AZ. You can tell the difference between stuff left behind by your average illegal immigrant and stuff left behind by human smugglers/drug smugglers/Mexican border bandits (who rob the cartel smugglers) etc... by the type of gear they leave behind. Most of the illegals they catch coming across dont where camouflage and most of the clothing and backpacks and stuff they leave behind isnt camo either. All of this stuff, including at least 5 backpacks, shirts, pants, jackets, gloves and hats, and even bags and pouches, were all camouflage or solid green, mostly hunting type camo but also some military style camo as well. And it was interesting since all of the camo packpacks except 1 were identical, and all of the camo hats the same too. And Ive seen these same backpacks elsewhere in the Arizona desert, and even have one I kept for posterity, since it was in good enough shape (It was packed full of food and sterno when I found it, most of which was unused).
There were also black plastic bags, presumably for the drugs, or just to keep things dry, and several ace type bandages, which they use for wrapping up their shoes to help cover their tracks. Down in the pockets of two of backpacks were these Mexicans coins, the most recent being from 2012 and the oldest from 1997. I also found a cheap, throw away cell phone that was chucked over the fence when the illegals met up with their ride out of there. You see, to the South of this road is by and large desert wilderness all the way south to the border, and its the perfect place for illegal aliens to trek across the border and then safely meet up with their contact here in AZ for pickup, bypassing all of the Border Patrol checkpoints completely, since they are all located further to the south on the main roads. I also found the two rosaries you see hanging on a fence post at this smugglers' pick up point, and the date nails you see in the last photo there. The 1926 I found in another fence line along the way home. I also found a 1938 or 36 or something, but its all bent up and difficult to read.
As I was checking the fence posts, I noticed alongside the road, tucked behind some catclaw and mesquite, a bunch of stuff from the illegal aliens, which frequently pass through this area. You see little illegal alien camps like this all over in Southern AZ. You can tell the difference between stuff left behind by your average illegal immigrant and stuff left behind by human smugglers/drug smugglers/Mexican border bandits (who rob the cartel smugglers) etc... by the type of gear they leave behind. Most of the illegals they catch coming across dont where camouflage and most of the clothing and backpacks and stuff they leave behind isnt camo either. All of this stuff, including at least 5 backpacks, shirts, pants, jackets, gloves and hats, and even bags and pouches, were all camouflage or solid green, mostly hunting type camo but also some military style camo as well. And it was interesting since all of the camo packpacks except 1 were identical, and all of the camo hats the same too. And Ive seen these same backpacks elsewhere in the Arizona desert, and even have one I kept for posterity, since it was in good enough shape (It was packed full of food and sterno when I found it, most of which was unused).
There were also black plastic bags, presumably for the drugs, or just to keep things dry, and several ace type bandages, which they use for wrapping up their shoes to help cover their tracks. Down in the pockets of two of backpacks were these Mexicans coins, the most recent being from 2012 and the oldest from 1997. I also found a cheap, throw away cell phone that was chucked over the fence when the illegals met up with their ride out of there. You see, to the South of this road is by and large desert wilderness all the way south to the border, and its the perfect place for illegal aliens to trek across the border and then safely meet up with their contact here in AZ for pickup, bypassing all of the Border Patrol checkpoints completely, since they are all located further to the south on the main roads. I also found the two rosaries you see hanging on a fence post at this smugglers' pick up point, and the date nails you see in the last photo there. The 1926 I found in another fence line along the way home. I also found a 1938 or 36 or something, but its all bent up and difficult to read.
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