a border guard Before Arizona rancher George Alan Kelly responds to allegations of armed drug traffickers on his property, he is heard on the phone asking if he is “crazy.”
Fox News Digital recently obtained several recordings of calls between Border Patrol and Kelly with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office from January 30th.
The body of a man identified as 48 years old that night Mexican national Gabriel Cuen Buitimea was found on Kelly’s ranch outside Nogales, Arizona. Kelly was subsequently arrested on first-degree murder charges, but the charges were later downgraded to second-degree murder. Kelly stressed that he never dialed 911.
In one call, someone from the Nogales Border Patrol told Dispatch: Five had large backpacks and possibly rifles. ”
The dispatcher asks who had the rifle. “There were five on the man’s property, and the man was chasing them,” a Border Patrol agent said, “the caller, who called us in the first place, had a rifle and It seems to me that someone in his group of five has a rifle.”
Someone from the border patrol will call you later.
“I’m sorry, I hate doing this to you. I don’t know if this guy got shot,” the agent told Dispatch. I don’t know if he’s crazy or what’s going on after that.”
The dispatcher asks, “So you don’t know if it’s active shooting?”
The agent said, “No. He called our ranch liaison a few minutes ago and said he was shooting five people shooting back at him, not directly here.”
“His last remark was that he thought they were shooting at him and thought he heard gunshots,” the agent added. “But he sees people running. But he doesn’t see firearms. But he checks his ranch with weapons. He checks livestock.” .”
“But you didn’t shoot back, did you?” the dispatcher asks.
The agent replies, “No, at least he doesn’t say so.”
“This same guy, he’s had this call before,” the agent says. “and it’s over just being an alien On his property, he says the same thing… obviously we have to take it seriously. ”
Arizona rancher’s defense contrasts Alec Baldwin case, suggests drug traffickers buy testimony
The agent provided the Vermillion Ranch address.
Border Patrol did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
With defense and prosecution still bitterly divided over what happened on that fateful day on the cattle ranch where 73-year-old Kelly and his wife have lived for decades, the call provides more context. Offers.
State Keeps Kelly shot an ‘unarmed’ man Over 100 yards from Kelly’s residence behind “on unprovoked attack when he ran hard”. Kelly has also been charged with two counts of aggravated assault in connection with an alleged surviving witness who came forward from Quen Buitimere’s party.
But the defense claims only Kelly Fired a “warning shot” Earlier in the day, he took to the air after spotting a group of armed men moving through the trees by his house on the ranch. The filing claims that one of his armed men “pointed an AK-47” at Kelly, who made numerous calls to the Border Patrol ranch liaison.
The rancher claims to have found the body later that night when he went out with his dog to check the livestock. Kelly’s attorney suggested in court that the cartel may be bribing testimony against ranchers.
In another record, the Nogales Border Protection Agency admits to relaying “third-party” information.
“Hi, a citizen called me. I’m calling from Nogales Border Protection,” the agent tells Dispatch. “And that’s the rancher at the last home in Southern Wormwood. He claims people are firing at him and is shooting back. Advise agents currently encroaching on the area. doing.”
After a few seconds, the caller adds, “Please ignore.” “He doesn’t know if he’s being shot. I don’t know if this guy is crazy or what’s going on… It’s like third party information. He’s on our ranch.” I called the liaison, I called the operations center, I’m calling you, so I don’t have them all.”
The dispatcher asks, “So you don’t know if it’s active shooting?”
The agent replies, “It doesn’t sound like that anymore.”
Another caller, who said he came from the Martinez Chapels funeral home in Nogales, told the dispatcher that he was about 40 minutes away from the death call at Kelly’s Ranch.
In another recording, a caller who identified himself as a supervisor Nogales Border Guard, He says he wanted to contact the sheriff’s office about Kelly.
“Yes. I still have my deputy at the scene. We found the body,” the dispatcher reports.
The director asks, “Are you human?” “Yeah, human,” Dispatch says. “I have also contacted the CID team and they should be able to respond soon.”
Another call confirmed that a sheriff’s sergeant and deputy were at the scene with Kelly at one point.
Only one of the released recordings captures Kelly giving a direct account of what happened that day.
On the phone, a dispatcher from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office dials out to Kelly. “I called because I had a report from Border Patrol. I called to get more information. So what happened?”
“We need to send an officer here,” Kelly says.
The dispatcher asks, “OK, what’s going on?”
“It’s very serious, ma’am. And I can’t… I’m not going to talk on the phone,” Kelly says.
When asked for more details, the dispatcher says, “Go ahead, talk to me. What’s going on?”
In response, Kelly said, “Yeah, I know I can talk to you, but you are responsible for what I say and I am responsible for what I say.
“You told them you shot something. What did you shoot?” the dispatcher asks.
“I didn’t say I shot anything,” Kelly replies.
The dispatcher says, “OK, that’s what Border Patrol told us, so I’m just asking you.”
“The Nogales Sheriff’s Office had four out of five men investigating Border Patrol this afternoon. drug trafficking,Kelly told the dispatcher she didn’t remember their names.
“But they know what happened. I don’t want to bother you and I don’t want to bother you,” Kelly says. “But I don’t want to break the law or anything like that. So what I’m trying to say is that the Sheriff’s Deputy needs to be here – 100 Willow Cross Circle – immediately. That’s all I can say. , ma’am.”
“Yes, is anyone injured?” the dispatcher asks. “I need to know because if someone gets hurt, I have to send an ambulance too.” The rancher starts, but quickly stops.
“Did you know that ‘You have the right to remain silent and what you say can and will go against you in court’? I don’t know what happened. ‘ says Kelly. “I know what I saw just 15 minutes ago.
The dispatcher asks, “Are you sure EMT doesn’t help?”
“I’m positive. I have a medical background. EMT won’t help,” says Kelly. The dispatcher asks, “Do you know who you saw?” Kelly said, “No, I didn’t say it was someone. I just said it was the body.”
“I’m not trying to be smart,” adds the rancher.
“I know you are trying to be careful. . “So you’re going to need a little more context as to why you needed a surrogate to get you there.”
Kelly said, “I know there’s a body here…and it’s not alive. So I asked if I needed an EMT. I said no, but sooner or later a coroner would get involved.” I am confident it will.”
