People cross the U.S. border for a variety of reasons. Legitimate ones will cross to work at businesses or in people's homes, they will cross to buy products that are either cheaper, or are only available in America. Many people make a living buying products here, carrying them over the bridge and selling them in Mexico.

While most Americans can simply stroll into Mexico, it is not easy for a Mexican to enter America legally. They must complete the application process, which involves much paperwork, time and money. They must also show that they are solvent and that they have one year of work experience. Thus, there are a great number of people who cross the border illegally.

Drugs - The flow of this product is into the U.S., with large amounts of money going back to Mexico.

Other Work - It is harder now for an illegal alien to get work in the U.S. because companies are required to collect proof of citizenship from employees. But many companies, which pay wages in cash, ignore this law for the cheap labor. Many Mexicans come into America for only a few weeks or months, earn a year's wages and return home. Some, such as prostitutes, will come in for only a few hours.

Smuggling - Don't know where the shallow and narrow parts of the river are? Don't know where the holes in the fences are? Or the pathways and dark alleyways? How about the cameras? Do you know where to hide once you're in America? No? Then hire a smuggler, pay him or her in cash, up front, and if you get stopped, don't crack, don't tell the agents you paid for this service, or you will regret it, and so will your family.

Diversion - With important clients to bring over, smugglers may hire someone to distract agents.

Reconoiter - Checking to see if holes in fences have been repaired, or if sensors are in place, or if the place is crawling with U.S. agents.

People enter the U.S. in large cities like El Paso, not because it's convenient, but because they can easily "get lost" among the people and the buildings. The next step for many of them is to go deeper into the U.S., and there are only three ways a person can do this:

PLANES - With agents at the airport, the U.S. Border Patrol catches an average of 25 illegals each day. (Before "Hold the Line, they would catch 100). "We watch them approach the escalator - if they look like they've never seen one before, that's a good sign," Rodriguez says.

TRAINS - With several tracks running just north of the border, trains are popular, but U.S. Agents can call and have any train stopped. "I was chasing some guys on my horse when they hopped a train," Gonzales says. "One of the guys waves and gives me this dirty grin, like 'ha, ha - we're home-free, you'll never get us now!' I had the train stopped and we galluped up to them and took them in. I told his friends that the only reason I stopped them was because of him."

AUTOMOBILES - There are U.S. Border Patrol checkpoints throughout the west, and agents at these can stop any vehicle which they suspect contains an illegal immigrant. It is the only area in our country where all traffic is eyed and any vehicle can be searched. These are very useful, not only in catching aliens, but other illegal activity. In the first ten months of 1998, agents at the checkpoint near Las Cruces, New Mexico "removed" 8,470 aliens, and seized 5,733 pounds of narcotics.