Las Vegas Review-Journal – by HENRY BREAN
Embattled Bunkerville rancher Cliven Bundy sent out an ominous announcement Sunday night, promising a war and inviting the press to come cover it.
“They have cattle and now they have one of my boys,” said the email sent from Bundy’s address just after 9 p.m. Sunday. “Range War begins tomorrow at Bundy ranch at 9:30 a.m.”
It’s unclear what Bundy has planned.
His wife, Carol Bundy, said the federal agents arrested their son, Dave Bundy, on Sunday afternoon along state Route 170 near Mesquite. The family is not sure what charges he faces. The 37-year-old was in a parked car along the state highway, which had not been closed to traffic, taking photos with an iPad, the family said.
The BLM confirmed Dave Bundy was taken into custody Sunday. He is alleged to have failed to comply with “multiple requests” by law enforcement authorities to leave the temporary closure area on public lands.
Natalie Collins, a spokeswoman for the Nevada U.S. Attorney’s office, said Bundy was released from custody and cited for “refusing to disperse and resisting issuance of a citation/arrest.”
Earlier, BLM spokeswoman Kirsten Cannon said someone had been taken into custody to “protect public safety and maintain the peace,” but she declined to identify the person.
“The Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service support the public’s right to express opinions peacefully and lawfully. However, if an individual threatens, intimidates or assaults another individual or impedes the impoundment, they may be arrested in accordance with local, state or Federal laws,” Cannon said in a written statement.
Cliven Bundy was in Las Vegas early Monday to meet with Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie, although it had nothing to do with his son’s arrest. Gillespie said their meeting was arranged on Saturday.
Bundy wanted contact information for Metro supervisors in his area, Gillespie said, and the sheriff provided him the information. But Gillespie reiterated that his agency isn’t involved in the roundup.
“This is strictly a federal operation,” he said.
The roundup got underway Saturday morning and brought in 76 animals the first day and 58 the second for a total of 134.
Federal agents and contract cowboys — both on the ground and in the air, with at least one helicopter — are expected take up to a month to round up the rancher’s derelict herd, which could include more than 900 animals scattered over a remote, 90-mile swath of mountains and desert in northeastern Clark County.
The BLM and the National Park Service have closed off public access to almost 600,000 acres of federal land for the roundup.
Bundy considers much of that area his ranch to use as he sees fit, but the BLM canceled his federal grazing permit 20 years ago, after the rancher refused to agree to new land-use rules and stopped paying his fees.
In the decades since, Bundy has challenged or ignored repeated directives from the government to remove his livestock from public land.
Two federal court orders issued within the last year authorized authorities to impound the “trespass cattle.”
As the first cattle were rounded up and removed from the range Saturday, Bundy criticized the action but made no attempt to disrupt it. That might be about to change.
“Press- if you are going to cover this you’d better come!” Bundy’s email said Sunday night. “We going to get the job done!”
In a statement, the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association distanced itself from Bundy’s actions. The association noted that it supports effective range management through working with agencies to reach goals that encompass ranching and conservation of wildlife.
“Nevada Cattlemen’s Association does not feel it is in our best interest to interfere in the process of adjudication in this matter, and in addition NCA believes the matter is between Mr. Bundy and the federal courts,” the association said. “Nevada Cattlemen’s Association is sensitive and concerned how the Bundy cattle confiscation situation has evolved.”
Review-Journal reporters Ben Botkin, Jeff German and Mike Blasky and photojournalist John Locher contributed to this report. Contact reporter Henry Brean at hbrean@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Follow him on Twitter at @RefriedBrean.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/rancher-range-war-government-begins-monday-morning
Sheriff Douglas C. Gillespie
Phone number: 702-828-3394
email: pio@lvmpd.com
So the Sheriff claims that it isn’t his department doing this. It is the federal government. Why the hell isn’t the Sheriff doing his job and supporting this American? The same crap happened in Michigan. The punk ass Sheriff didn’t do a thing to stand up for an American from his county.
People are getting fed up and it wont take much more to get the fire started. One more Ruby Ridge will do it for a lot of us.
If the Sheriff took any Federal funds, the Feds can legally control him.
Yes that is exactly what I was thinking…
Gillespie is a punk with his nose up bat ears butt. We are hoping that he is replaced this year. This POS said he would uphold all federal gun laws. Another one for the list.
Might be about time for the lever action. 🙂
I can sense another ruby ridge, I think serious folks should make their way to the area.
I’m thinking they are holding his son hostage to use for leverage. Hang the Commie bastards!
So his cows where trespassing.
I dont like the feds but the rancher seems like he is not innocent.
2 to tango situation.
ps BLM can suck it. talk about a monopoly with all the protections of the largest organized crime ring ever. UScorp.
The rancher is innocent. The BLM is an unconstitutional rogue agency. There is no complaint from any American national against the rancher, just a bunch of thugs seeking to enforce foreign law upon our soil. And I’ll tell you what, they will find a good reason to kill each and every one of us. So quit accommodating them.
I agree with you Henry. This thug government sits up there in DC passing all these unconstitutional laws like they own this country. Boy are they disillusioned.
I did send an email today to Sheriff Gillespie expressing my concern and encouragement to do the right thing in this case. Looks like he’s bought and paid for.
“Press- if you are going to cover this you’d better come!” Bundy’s email said Sunday night. “We going to get the job done!”
The Press unfortunately ain’t gonna do crap (as we all know, the revolution will not be televised) and if they did, they would twist everything in favor of the government as always. The Press they need is the Alternative media.
@NC yeah im thinking the same thing he should have reached out and asked Patriots to come help, if enough showed the press would most certainly come.
He needs the militia.
Brother, we are the militia.
Once again,as a taxpayer,why am I asked to financially support a rancher thru subsidies and free ranging on public lands.Said rancher would have a fit if a citizen planted a garden on lands and fenced in to keep his cattle from grazing on it
As a taxpayer, you support NOTHING of the sort. Your taxes don’t go to the I.R.S., they go directly to the Federal Reserve, a PRIVATELY owned bank.
And anything the so-called ‘government’ calls ‘public lands’ they consider THEIRS, not ours.
Unless, of course, they’ve already ‘given’ it to the U.N.