Kai Conrad

One Body North Kai Conrad

Images of migrants at the border fence between Mexico and the United States have become part of daily life in America. Citizens and politicians are debating about what to do, and emotions are running high. Can laws and processes be improved to mitigate the plight of millions of people? What about the security of the United States?As the country fights with itself, Border Patrol agents continue doing their jobs, irrespective of government shutdowns, blistering heat, or violent opposition. Agents apprehend undocumented immigrants and drug smugglers and participate in the seizure of thousands of pounds of narcotics and thousands of dollars of dirty cash over the course of their careers. Border Patrol agents encounter people with tears in their eyes, individuals who only want a way to provide for their family, who beg for a "chanza," to be let go. At other times, agents are assaulted and must chase and tackle gangsters with felony rap sheets from years of living illegally in the United States and committing crimes. What is it really like on the border, and what is it like to be a Border Patrol agent? In "One Body North," former BPA Kai Conrad shares stories and insights from serving ten years in New Mexico and Arizona, from highway checkpoints to patrolling on mountain bikes. From "One Body North""Juan was first into the backyard. He dropped his bike and entered the rear of the house. The next thing I heard was "They're running!" My partner had walked into one of the back rooms, and heads popped up over a low wall between rooms to look at who had just come in. The men in the group bailed when they saw that a Border Patrol agent had just walked into their stash house.""We found another UDA hiding in the culvert at 7th and Pan Am at 0650. His name was Angler, he was eighteen, from Guatemala. 2013 was an unusually cold winter (we had some days with temperatures in the 9-15 degrees Fahrenheit range), and Angler was crying and shivering violently when we found him. He was on his way to live with his uncle in Miami and wanted to see an immigration judge for a chance to stay."