ARMED AND DANGEROUS
Fear and loathing in Kingsville, Texas
Local residents fuming over Army live-fire exercise
Posted: February 15, 1999
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By David M. Bresnahan
© 1999 WorldNetDaily.com
A group of Kingsville, Texas, citizens now plan to pursue action against their city for permitting the Army to use live ammunition during an exercise in their town known as Operation Last Dance.
Angry citizens are expected to crowd the next city council and county commission meetings, both scheduled to be held Feb. 22. At least one citizen is looking into legal action.
Back door to building blasted open.
Some residents said they were terrified when helicopters swooped into town from the Army Special Operations Command, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, last Monday night. One helicopter hit a telephone pole, which started a fire and horrified residents who saw it happen.
At least eight helicopters are reported to have participated in an assault exercise using live ammunition and explosives very close to innocent bystanders who were not warned of the planned action.
Fire officials confirmed that they responded to the resulting fire, but had no warning that the exercise would take place. They were also summoned to put out a building fire caused by explosions set off during the exercise.
It has since been learned from military sources that the actual group involved in the exercise is known as the Knight Stalkers, an elite group from the Delta Force. They are trained to conduct assassination missions, according to several retired military officers who had served in various special operations assignments.
The Army Special Operations Command at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, has acknowledged that the event was the kick-off of a series of similar training operations going on in Kingsville, Corpus Christi and Fort Sam Houston, but would not confirm that the group was the Knight Stalkers. Additional training events have been confirmed in the area.
Austin radio station talk show host Alex Jones went to Kingsville to investigate for WorldNetDaily. He arrived just in time to find work crews covering up the evidence of the extensive damage caused by the exercise.
A former police station and an old Exxon office building were nearly destroyed. Evidence of bullet holes in walls, explosions from grenades, and other explosive charges could be seen. Fire damage was also extensive in at least one of the buildings.
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| Lt. Judy Hayes, 3rd in command at Kingsville Police Department |
"The Army was doing some sort of extraction type thing. They used eight helicopters. Our training involved sealing off the area, as if we were involved in taking care of a hazardous materials type incident. We were rerouting traffic and making sure there was no civilian foot traffic in the area. So we got quite a bit of training in that area.
"The only participation on the part of the Kingsville Police Department was in a hazardous materials training session. We did not participate in any way with what the Army was doing," insisted Hayes.
Throughout the interview with Jones, two men in black SWAT team uniforms stood behind her. Jones believes it was an attempt to intimidate him.
The Kingsville Fire Department was not given notice of the exercise, and it was not invited to participate in the alleged hazardous materials training, even though it would be called in if there were a real even of that kind.
The fire department spokesman claimed officials were not aware of the event until they were called to respond to the telephone pole fire and the fire at the former police station.
An elderly lady who lives in an apartment across from where the exercise took place told Jones that she was frightened to death and crying. She was sitting on a bench in full view of the area where the helicopters first appeared and where all the shooting took place.
"I sit on the bench, and then I get scared because the noise. It was so terrible and too loud, you know. They were throwing some bombs. I think they were using some rifles too, and the other kind of rifles that go pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, you know," said the elderly woman, identified only as Gracie.
She described seeing many black helicopters with men in black coming out of them. She heard explosions and apparently machine gun fire. She said it lasted at least two hours.
"I was so scared I went back to my apartment, but I could still hear the noise," Gracie said. She said she was so scared that she cried and her heart hurt. She said no one warned her or came to tell her what was going on.
Business owners are also complaining. The police claim they warned businesses in the area of the exercise in advance. If they did, WorldNetDaily was unable to find any that would confirm that. The businesses in the area that were open at the time of the exercise had no idea what was going on.
A former police chief and former city council member have expressed dismay over the incident and are contemplating filing an official complaint.
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| Police Chief Philipe Garza was appointed to his position even though he did not have the required training. He is currently under investigation for police brutality and abuse. |
Garza claims there are very few complaints from residents of Kingsville. He says the only complaints are coming from people in other parts of the country.
The head of emergency management for Kingsville is the Federal Emergency Management Agency coordinator Tomas Sanchez. He is a highly decorated Navy veteran, wounded in Vietnam and retired after 30 years of service. He now continues to serve as the head of the military police unit of the Texas State Guard, which is under the National Guard.
Sanchez has had extensive experience and training in special operations, and he expressed deep concern to WorldNetDaily about events in Kingsville. He was asked what was the purpose of the exercise. He said the plan involved a scenario that required military action because local police could not deal with civilians effectively.
"Martial law has been declared through presidential powers and war powers act, and some citizens have refused to give up their weapons. They have taken over two of the buildings in Kingsville. The police cannot handle it. So you call these guys in. They show up and they zap everybody, take all the weapons, and let the local P.D. clean it up," described Sanchez of the scenario the Knight Stalkers were likely given.
Sanchez says the military exercise in his town was illegal under the Posse Comitatus Act, but he says that Presidential Decision Directive 25 has given an exception to Special Operations. He believes the men involved have total immunity from any legal action against them. Although PDD 25 is top secret, Sanchez has seen it because of his position with FEMA, and he has a security clearance. He would not provide a copy to WorldNetDaily.
"Some folks are talking about seeking some legal counsel. Some are asking for the crisis incident stress management counseling. They would like to see some of that," said Sanchez.
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| Shell casing used by Knight Stalkers to blast their way through doors. |
Sanchez was able to locate some of the helicopters and some of the soldiers used in Operation Last Dance. He decided to take a drive to the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station and the Corpus Christi Army Depot where all the helicopters are given maintenance.
"Parked between hanger 45 and 46 on the tarmac were four Blackhawk, no marking, helicopters. They've got it all blocked off with a chain link fence that says ID card required to gain access. No security guard. One can drive up close enough to look through the fence and see the Blackhawk helocopters. Only four of them were parked there," said Sanchez of his findings.
He said the men involved are most likely staying at the bachelor- enlisted quarters, which is a three-story barracks building. Some of the men have been observed eating in a fast food restaurant right near the bachelor-enlisted quarters.
"You can always tell these guys because even when they put on civilian clothes they still look like Army Rangers. White sidewalls we call it. Short crew cut," Sanchez explained.
David M. Bresnahan, a contributing editor for WorldNetDaily.com, is the author of "Cover Up: The Art and Science of Political Deception," and offers a monthly newsletter "Talk USA Investigative Reports." He may be reached through email and also maintains a website.
David M. Bresnahan is an investigative journalist for WorldNetDaily.com
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