Report: Armed man came closer than reported to Guard troops on Mexico border

PHOENIX (AP) -- A gunman in a group of six to eight men came within 35 feet of National Guardsmen watching the Mexican border earlier this month, according to a Guard report.<br/> <br/>The four Guardsmen

Saturday, January 20th 2007, 2:50 pm

By: News On 6

PHOENIX (AP) -- A gunman in a group of six to eight men came within 35 feet of National Guardsmen watching the Mexican border earlier this month, according to a Guard report.

The four Guardsmen from Tennessee were manning an observation post near Sasabe on Jan. 3, looking for illegal border crossings. The men approached, split into two groups and surrounded the site, according to the report.

The troops began to withdraw to avoid a confrontation. As they were loading their gear into their vehicle, one of the armed men approached within about 33 feet, according to the summary.

"Both groups kept their weapons 'ready low' and never pointed them at each other. No shots were fired," the report states.

The troops finished loading the vehicle and drove away. They then called Border Patrol agents, who tracked the armed men back to the border but were not able to find them. Officials have said they do not know who the armed men were and what they were doing near the observation post.

The report was provided to The Associated Press by Gov. Janet Napolitano's office Friday.

Previously, the Border Patrol said the armed men only came about 100 yards from the troops. Border Patrol spokesman Gustavo Soto would neither confirm nor deny Friday the distance between the groups, saying releasing the information would compromise the investigation.

The report concluded the Guardsmen acted as they should have.

"We see this as a triumph of the training, discipline and professionalism of the Guardsmen performing this mission," the summary says.

National Guard troops are in Arizona and the three other border states assisting Border Patrol agents in a variety of roles, such as operating surveillance cameras, repairing border fences, constructing vehicle barriers and reporting illegal entries.