Sheriff Arpaio's .50-Cal Crime Sweeper



Sheriff Arpaio's belt-fed .50 caliber machine gun
(Phoenix, Arizona) Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is undeterred by the controversy over Arizona's soon-to-be-effective immigration law. While the federal government is suing Arizona regarding the law, Sheriff Joe employs a bigger and more effective gun in immigration enforcement.

Although the next crime suppression operation had been announced for July 29, Arpaio said the one-day sweep was executed sooner due to reports of many drug and immigrant smugglers activity through the Vekol Valley.

Arpaio ordered the deployment of a powerful belt-fed .50 caliber machine gun to be on site during the operation to ensure deputies' safety, as there have been recent reports of violence in the desolate desert areas.

“If anyone shoots at our deputies, they are going to have a problem,” said Arpaio in a news conference in the minutes prior to the sweep.

You've got to hand it to Arpaio, sometimes called "America's Sheriff." While activists and protesters clamor for the rights of illegal aliens, Sheriff Joe brandishes a .50 caliber machine gun and says,

"I want to send a message to these criminal traffickers that we will not be intimidated by reports claiming that traffickers are better equipped than our law enforcement officers […] we have the machine guns too and we will not hesitate to use them if the situation calls for it."

Heh.

Companion post at TJR.