From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer …
An outspoken anti-immigration activist from Everett has been arrested in Arizona in connection to a deadly home invasion robbery.
Shawna Forde, the executive director of the Minutemen American Defense, is one of three accused in the shooting deaths of 29-year-old Raul Flores and his daughter, 9-year-old Brisenia Flores, at their home in Arivaca, Ariz., a town 10 miles north of the Mexican border.
Two others – 34-year-old Jason Bush and 42-year-old Albert Gaxiola – were arrested. All three have been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of first-degree burglary and one count of aggravated assault.
According to the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, two men and a woman posing as police officers forced their way into the Flores ‘ home in the middle of the night on May 30.
Late Update: TPM Reader CE notes that the MAD website has a post up categorically denouncing the actions of the killers, one of the whom is allegedly the executive director of the organization and pledging fealty to the rule of the law and humanity in general. But I guess it’s a tad belied by headlines down the page like this one: “Subhuman Mexicans (God’s Children?) Prey on Countrymen.” With sentiments like that, who could have imagined things could escalate to violence, right?
Later Right Wing Terror Update: TPM Reader JW notes that this article in the Arizona Republic identifies one of the three accused murderers is Jason Eugene Bush, who goes by the nickname “gunny”. And a recent post on the group’s website announced his appointment as the group’s ‘operations director’ …
We are honored to have Gunny aboard. He served 6 tours over seas, where he has several medals. He received a Purple heart, Silver and Bronze star, Combat Infantry Badge and a Presidential citation for his actions in the Special Forces. He will be in charge of all operations along the Southern Border, assisting in command decisions, Recon and Tactical training. Gunny will be permanently located at MAD’S new 40 acre Base Camp, located somewhere on the Southern Border.
The man killed in the home invasion was a suspected drug dealer. And police say the invaders’ plan was to kill the entire family and steal money and drugs which would later be sold for cash. The Arizona Republic has some more detail on MAD’s connection with the better-known (I can’t quite manage to call them ‘mainstream’) Minutemen groups …
Forde is executive director of Minutemen American Defense, a border watch group that claims to secure the U.S. Border from human and drug trafficking, according to its Web site.
The Minutemen American Defense group is not associated with the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps, said Al Garza, vice president of the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps.
Forde was a leader with the Civil Defense Corps a few years ago but was dismissed after a few months because of leadership issues, he said.
