Jerry Seper in the Washington Times has the story in "Border Patrol told to stand down in Arizona". BP supervisors allegedly told their agents to minimize arrests in the area patrolled by the Minuteman Project volunteers last month. An increase in arrests would show that the MMP did their job.

This was discussed here last week in the post "MMP organizer denied access to DHS press conference". Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) received an email from "a very credible source within the U.S. Border Patrol" who stated that Border Patrol Tucson Sector Chief Michael Nicely had given these orders. Nicely had also given the order to exclude MMP organizer Chris Simcox from a DHS press conference.

In their report, the Washington Times says:

...More than a dozen agents, all of whom asked not to be identified for fear of retribution, said orders relayed by Border Patrol supervisors at the Naco, Ariz., station made it clear that arrests were "not to go up" along the 23-mile section of border that the volunteers monitored to protest illegal immigration.

"It was clear to everyone here what was being said and why," said one veteran agent. "The apprehensions were not to increase after the Minuteman volunteers left. It was as simple as that."

Another agent said the Naco supervisors "were clear in their intention" to keep new arrests to an "absolute minimum" to offset the effect of the Minuteman vigil, adding that patrols along the border have been severely limited...