Feds Seize New Mexico Ranchers Land: County orders Local Sheriff to Stop the Feds

In a story that’s being totally ignored by the mainstream media, another rancher is being targeted by the federal government in a land dispute that seems eerily similar to the Bundy Ranch Dispute in Nevada.

Rancher Kit Laney, and a number of New Mexico Ranchers are all locked in a vicious battle with the federal government over land that the Feds are now claiming ownership of – even though the Laney family has claims to the land going all the way back to 1883.

Earlier this year the Federal Government closed down access to the Ranchers land, placing gates that blocked his cattle’s access to a creek in the Lincoln National Forest. About 20 local ranchers were also affected, all of whom have watering rights to the creek and have been using the land for decades.

Just like during the Bundy Ranch situation, the government is yet again using some asinine environmental reasoning to justify stealing more private land, claiming the area’s ranchers are endangering habitat for the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse by allowing their cattle to graze on the land.

Armed Protestors facing off with BLM
Bundy Ranch Supporters and local Militia Pushing the BLM off their land last month in Nevada

Unlike the Bundy Ranch story that we reported on out in Nevada, where state and local officials failed to help the rancher, this time local officials in Otero County, New Mexico aren’t rolling over.

On Monday, a New Mexico county board instructed the local sheriff to remove all BLM gates from the land. The Otero County Commission voted 2-0, with one commissioner absent, to “immediately take steps to remove or open gates that are unlawfully denying citizens access to their private property rights.”

Commissioner Ronny Rardin said Monday he was uncomfortable with taking action “against people that are my friends,” apparently referring to local Forest Service rangers, but that he had an obligation as an elected commissioner to uphold the Constitution.

“That Constitution is in breach right now and it is our duty, it’s our civil duty — if we want to keep our nation free and keep our country as it was intended to be by our forefathers — to stand up and take this type of action,” said Mr. Rardin.

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109 Comments

      • Just how long will it take to wake up about 150 million people ? Every time the Feds get away with this illegal crap the become more powerful in their control over all of us.

        • 150 million dont care, dont know why they should care, as this truly affects a very small number of people as it were. Less than what..3000? 2000? Now if thousands would actually turn out, in no kidding PEACEFUL protests without threatening to use firearms to further their cause, it might gain interest. But so far, all we are seeing is a very few people with a vested interest for the most part. AND we are going to see this last group do jail time.

          • People will care once they are aware this could easily be them. This is why businessman Donald Trump beleives in Eminent Domain…it allows one with the means (money/influence) to take property belonging to others for their own or the powers-that-be, special interest. It gives government the power to take whatever they want or need. It means that the property you think you own and paid for is, in fact, not worth the paper it’s written on…if the government or big business wants what you have!

          • You’ll get real interested when they take all the ranches and farms that provide and grow your food and you are hungry. Think about that hungry furling in your belly or your children’s.

          • Whether the protesters tool up or not, makes no never mind to the BLM, or the FBI, or even the CIA for that matter, you kick back at the government, and they don’t give a hoot nor a holler about whether you are a armed or not, if you are armed, that makes it easier, if you aren’t, they will plant a gun of some calibre on your cooling corpse.
            They are out of control, and they need to feel the wrath of the People, and that is the reason for the second, the second was used during the McMinn County War ( Battle of Athens Tenn:) 1946 …..
            I think though that the government have had too long a free ride, with people saying ” It Don’t affect me, so why should I bother about it!” ….. Anything that the Government does contrary to the Constitution affects you whether or not you think it doesn’t, God Bless America, For heaven sakes STAY FREE !

        • Im not sure the “American Patriots” we all keep talking about, are going to do anything at all. If a black man had been shot down in cold blood, the black community would be out protesting like banshees, regardless of whether or nor it was justified. White folks seem to just bitch and whine about it on Facebook and then go right back to watching their tv shows.

          The BLM and really all govt, continues to creep up on us and we all keep saying “wake up, America! Then go right back to watching tv and Facebook again. We cant simply sit on our asses and wait for someone else to do this for us. Its going to take all patriots, throughout the country, to fend off Obama’s troops, not just the few brave ones that have the balls to take action!

          • You are completely right. Most white people are so in love with their WORTHLESS SHIT – material possessions – that they are simply cowards. How many times do you see a white man or woman killing the piece of garbage who raped or molested their own child ? HARDLY NEVER ! I would personally relish killing someone who molested one of my children or grandchildren….and believe me….I am ready to do something like that instantly. The problem is EVERYONE IS AFRAID…SCARED TO DEATH….and the Govt has put into place so many surveillance systems to catch and stop anyone from ORGANIZING. I had a small group ORGANIZED to teach PREPAREDNESS techniques and SELF-RELIANCE and after the Govt sent military people in to our group to spy on us, everyone fled out of fear. WE WERE TEACHING….ORGANIC GARDENING, CANNING, RELOADING, etc. THE PROBLEM IS FEAR. We have to promote BRAVERY and INTEGRITY.

          • White people are to busy working to pay for their family and paying taxes so that the so called black community can have free time to protest.

          • Gary, WHAT are YOU doing? Why do you think that there are protests and legal actions against the FEDS. “We the people….” are doing something. But you cannot undo overnight, what has been creeping into our gov’t throughout the years.

      • I hope people wake up. Some environmental lame excuse over a mouse. Excuse me, but species go extinct every day and a mouse is not an environmental must have. You’ll find, like in Oregon, there are minerals or other resources the Feds want to sell to our enemies. Kudos to the county authorities. Hopefully, the state will back them up. The BLM has no business stealing private property from ranchers who usually manage the land far better than the Feds.

        • I live 60 miles away from where this is going on. Yet another land grab by the idiots in power. And by the way we have outbreaks of bubonic plague and Hantavirus in New Mexico. Guess what spreads them? MICE!!

          • Hanta as you know is spread in mouse urine and feces being swept up in a dust and inhaled. Its not Ebola . AND this isnt the Lincoln County War all over again .

          • Balloonist,
            You should get out of the fumes of your balloon. It’s really clouding your God given mind.

        • this is kind of a sad thing… it has been coming and advertised for quite a while… the issue is an “endangered” species that with minimal protections would not be an issue.. cutting the fences is not going to fix the issue… putting in a few protections to prevent the damage from grazing will and at minimal cost… already happened in northern New Mexico but I think they spent more than they needed to even there but they still met the requirements… this is an endangered species problem… not a land grab like some idiot are claiming…

          • What a joke. It’s not the Feds land. Feds need to follow the constitution and get out of the land business. They use the land as collateral for loans from foreign countries. States need to take back our lands.

          • Endangered species my tush. Spreader of disease yes. Mice are quite resilient in re-population. And a grazing cow will in no way hurt it.

          • Wow John so cutting off the water for cows and livestock is ok ???? The mouse will relocate and not to mention please tell me how that mouse helps any economy. Unlike cows that produce jobs and food for millions of people

          • John, you are gravely mistaken. This has nothing to do with a mouse! Do yourself a favor and study up on thorium. It’s easy to google. It’s an alternative nuclear fuel which burns cooler than uranium. It’s abundant in the Western states. Next Google Bill Gates and thorium. He already owns a company planning on mining thorium and will be selling it to China for nuclear reactors. He’s slated to make billions on the deal. Still think it’s about a mouse??

          • It is not an endangered species problem. Environmental groups were paid by the US government with grants, to sue the US government over all kinds of endangered species from spotted owls to jumping mice, that ARE NOT endangered at all, so that the US government and the UN could carry out their agenda 21 which will eventually take all government controlled land away from the taxpayers that fund them. Have you been huffing Baloon fumes too?

        • It seems to me that if the cattle’s presence was a danger to the mouse, the mouse would already be extinct. After all, the cattle have been there for more than a century.

      • What’s worse about this is I invested in land in Lincoln County 4yrs ago, for $19,000. In 2 years it increased in value to $29,500. Last year the ‘Developers’ PULLED OUT and now they have DE-valued my property to $13,500! There were thousands of investors who bought land whom are now in the same boat! Go figure that one!

    • Gary Darby is a US Constitutional Judge. He posted a video conversation on you tube: (HUGE BREAKING/ Burns Oregon/ US JUDGE REVEALS/BLACKSTONE/MERCS). He states clearly that LeVoy Finnigan was assassinated by Mercinaries (hired killers) from the International Monetary Fund, French Cartel! Fellow Americans: we have been like the frog that sat in cold water, as the heat was turned up it did not notice it was being cooked alive until it was too late. They want the west. Uranium rights on the Hammond Ranch were sold to the Russians by the Clinton Foundation. Agenda 21 is in progress. We have been sedated by the media. God be with us!

      • hahaha. This is TOOOO funny. Are you sure some aliens from Area 51 haven’t infiltrated your organization!

        • I hope and pray you have someone who will cover your ass when they come to take away what you have. Your comment shows a feat amount of ignorance.

          • That’s one of the reasons so many people don’t show up to protest over lands and such, because they remember when they were fighting the law, and there wasn’t anyone there for them.
            Most people don’t protest, unless it’s something that is directly affecting them, including these ranchers.
            How many of these ranchers have ever gone across the country to protest for other communities that were being affected by imminent domain ?

    • The US is such a successful country because of the concept of land ownership. The Feds are taking that away from us.

    • The federal employees who partake in these kinds of operations do not consider the right or wrong of anything they do, just take orders and forget about an oath which is nothing more than a requirement to gain employment with a governmental agency whether it be federal or local. There are no friends in government, and as per the quote by Commissioner Rardin-“Commissioner Ronny Rardin said Monday he was uncomfortable with taking action “against people that are my friends,” apparently referring to local Forest Service rangers, but that he had an obligation as an elected commissioner to uphold the Constitution.” his feeling of discomfort almost caused him to cross that line and cast an ok vote for the feds to do as they please. People forget, or know nothing about the seriousness of the oath they take, and by the way, who the real boss is which is we the people, not government. We lost our right as a free people starting with the Lincoln administration during the so called Civil War and the Reconstruction Era which is alive and well in our present day of citizen rights being compressed.

  1. The feds have started a war they will not win…we the people outnumber the feds and government.we just have to stand up as one

      • don’t put on it my friend I’ve seen many new faces standing up reaching out and asking for advice on what’s going on and what they can do for this country more in the last year that I’ve seen in the my 65 year I will stand and help the fights this is our country this is our homeland and I will not stand for the fish to push us any longer and if the people are worried about the military stepping in don’t be many of the military believe we are right and will not take arms against us

        • We The People are the ranchers and their friends. Not many city folks can afford to take off from their jobs to come demonstrate. Most retired folk, like myself, can’t afford the trip. God Bless the ranchers and farmers of this land. I pray for them.

        • there are two sides to all arguments. I would like to see the LEGAL rights to this land. is it federal property used for grazing or is it personal property owned outright?

          • Legally the feds are not allowed to own more than 10 square miles in DC and what is necessary for forts and ports.

          • You’re right – there are two sides to every argument. I am sure you are on the side of the Pedophile that likes to hold down little children and rape them in their anus….BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO PLEASE THEMSELVES NO MATTER WHO THEY HURT, RIGHT? You are an idiot…you know NOTHING of the CONSTITUTION or the DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG. THERE IS NO FEDERAL PROPERTY AFFORDED IN THE CONSTITUTION. The Federal Government has become a COMMUNIST INSTITUTION. By the way, anyone raping one of my grandkids will be shot immediately..shot until the mag is empty…and I don;t give a shit what you say about “Two sides to every story”.

          • I agree. Let’s hear the other side. Do these men hold a deed to this property? Why not? From what I read 95% of their cattle go out of the country! Is it The cattle ranchers land? They have a deed?.

      • Here’s the problem; imagine you’re walking near a bank when you here gunshots. You have your concealed carry on you and you decide to investigate. What you find is a dead police officer, and 2 men shooting at each other. One man has a duffle bag half open with what you can clearly see is stacks of cash inside. What do you do? Do you help the man who doesn’t have the cash? Do you help the man who has the cash? Or do you do nothing?

        If you chose to do nothing, people will call you a coward for letting a bank robber and cop killer get away. But what you didn’t know, is that they were BOTH robbing the bank. After they shot the officer and had the money, one decided to turn on the other. So if you helped either one of them you could be facing criminal charges.

        Moral of the story is that it is unwise to react without all the pertinent information. This is the reason patriots didn’t show up to the Oregon standoff. Or why more people didn’t show up in Nevada. Getting detailed and accurate information about the situations involving the BLM, or any other government overreach, from a reliable source is nearly impossible.

  2. Come on people lets not let these guys walk on us here lets stand up and fight these people who are blatenly stealing from us again. Ive never even heard of the New Mexico jumping field mouse what a crock

      • Not to mention that the cattle are meant to be food. Perhaps the ranchers should harvest some of the jumping mice to send the federal government to eat instead of steak.

      • different jumping mouse the one in New Mexico is different. Zapus hudsonius luteus
        easy to fix the problem with minimal changes and protections…. been listed for a while…

        • Using claims of certain specie endangerment is quite common when the government is attempting to force its way upon citizens. Many times in the past, it has been found that there is actually an abundance of the specified specie, and at no time has it been endangered! Such stupidity stopped progress on a large water reservoir in Texas, for two years. Such rats should become extinct! If mankind cannot benefit from the rat, what purpose does it serve? The BLM has become an arm of this anti-American administration, and it should be reined in. It’s power should be reduced to zilch. It is a gestapo like agency of a radical government!

          • It’s the same old song and dance they completely ruined Jhon Martin Res in hasty Colorado the south side of the lake was just like a beech, the government seen that it was a popular destination, it attracted people from all over, I don’t know if it was that they had to hire more employees to help money’s they didn’t want to spend or just take something from the people so we could not enjoy the lake, don’t get me wrong there were party’s there all the time but that’s what going to the lake is, is to have fun. Now the lake is completely a waist of time at one point the whole south side was packed couldn’t find a spot to put your travel trailer. So sad, thank you BLM for taking a place from us in S.E Colorado where there not hardly anything to do here anyways.

    • Brandon,,, neither have I,, if it’s a jumpimg rat, it will jump out of a cow’s hoof way… ????

    • In Wyoming they tried this and a very good Doctor and Rancher demanded the research and found that the pebbles jumping mouse had the same DNA as a damn mouse. But they never let you hear of this. It was stopped hear

  3. I think Mr Bundy had the right idea. Fire the BLM. They work for the people, so does all government. If they can’t or won’t do their job for the good of WE THE PEOPLE, then like any other employees that can’t do the job, terminate them.

    • I agree. The problem in every case is that government employees are never punished. Some are forced to resign, but that means nothing. They need to be actually punished.

      And as a second thought, we need to eliminate all pensions for government employees. They get enough. They get vested in their pensions after just 7 years. Someone I know went from Secret Service for 7 years, to the EPA for 7 years, and now is with another agency and will get to retire with THREE pensions! This is absurd.

      PUNISH / Remove extra financing perks

      • sorry dude, you’re wrong. get your facts straight before you go posting. he may have worked for three different agencies but doesn’t get three different pensions. the time he accrues at each position is carried to the next one towards his pension. im not defending the system, just pointing out the facts. and seven years is wrong to, unless you carry over time served in the military, which you have to buy back to add to your total time.

      • Your facts are wrong! Don’t blame all government employees for what one agency is doing and only a small part of that agency.

    • How do you fire the BLM? Did you hire them? We’re they elected? They are an illegal agency paid by the federal government. There are no elections for the BLM. They need to be defunded.

  4. I think it’s time that the entire Western side of the US from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast succeed from the Union. Of course, at that point in time, people will be moving to the West so fast we wont’ be able to keep up with it.

    • I think a lot of the southern east coast would like to secede as well. The tricky part is letting Southern California and the northeast pair up some how and leave the rest of us alone.

      • remember that man wrote a book called ‘what’s wrong with kansas?’. he thought the majority of us are wrong even though it is only the two coasts who vote ‘liberal’.
        you can look at a map and see where the wrong is. if the two coasts could become a separate country by a miracle out in the ocean somewhere the rest of us could lead a more peaceful and prosperous existence. alas, it is only a dream.

          • Many rural North Easterners stand against the BLM and the over reaching government! I stand with the ranchers!

        • Keep in mind that the coasts handle all imports and take a major piece of the action off all incoming products redistributed from there. Fees for finance, storage and all other activities related to distribution go in their pockets. These are expenses that are passed on to the rest of the country as higher prices for those imports. It is no wonder that these communities are able to afford higher subsidies to create a compliant population.

          If cities all created foreign trade zones and received the bulk of their imports through those gateways the advantage of the coasts would be greatly reduced. Those costs are in the exit price and not shown on any manifest. Its overhead…big time.

          • We have ports in Alabama, Mississippi, and The Great state of Texas !

        • Only a tiny section of Down Liberals State NY controls the entire state. We have been talking succeeding since the 70’s. We back the ranchers here in upstate NY!

    • Hate to admit this but the western part of my state, Washington, is so liberal it is disgusting. I live in the most Socialist enclave within this beautiful state, Seattle. The people who are supposed to be well educated are falling for all the political correct clap trap the government dishes out. People here rely too much on government agencies. So, you may want to redraw the new territory to exclude some of the PNW.

      • Have you ever seen how mouse breed?
        When my children where young, we supplied all of the schools with mice, and we started with just two…
        They are not endangered…

        • A big thank you to this commission for upholding
          The constitution of this great country..we need more people like you guys!

    • Well, you do know the mouse story is just a cover and excuse to take the land.. so the can sell the land to the highest outside bidder.. ;)

  5. To the Sheriff’s of Otero County, NM, if you need any help you can deputies me, I’ll remove them with you!!

  6. This is one of the poorest researched and written articles I have ran across on the internet. I believe the federal lands in western states should be under state jurisdiction, I think fighting the Feds with facts will serve better than rabble rousing. 1. The fuss in Otero county involves water rights. 2. No land has been seized. 3. The gate was locked to keep cattle from a source located on Public Land. 4. Kit Laney ran cattle on the Gila forest, several hundred miles away, in Catton and Grant counties, lost his fight with the USFS and spent time in jail over his behavior years ago and is a totally different case and cause than what is going on in Otero County. 5. Kit Laney and the water right fuss in Otero County involve the USFS and not the BLM.
    If you are going to stir the wrath of people against the government. Arm them with facts. Honest facts are the best basis to form a defensible opinion on.

    • Water rights is how the Feds took control over Ranches in Oregon. When 32 ranches refused to sell, they diverted the waters and flooded them out.
      Most of these ranches are sitting on mineral rights that the politicians want. Uranium on Hammonds ranch and gold etc on Bundys land. The ranches next to Hammonds were burned recently by the BLM.
      This is an egregious over reach by a greedy government.

      • Mineral rights under the 1872 Mining Act trump grazing privileges, and do not require a federal takeover or eviction of cattle on public land. In fact, there are multiple uses on public land concurrent on grazing alotments all over the west. Water rights in New Mexico, Oregon and Nevada are controlled by the States, not the federal government. In addition, the Supreme Court of the United States has the final jurisdiction on Constitutional interpretations; they rejected Bundy’s appeal on the merits, remanded the case back to the Ninth Circuit which ORDERED the BLM to remove the cows Bundy had in trespass.

  7. Bennie House is sheriff of Otero County and a darn good one at that.

    • It is time for the Sage Brush Sheriffs to act and send the Feds running. An elected county Sheriff is the strongest arm of LE and has the right to overrule Federal and State law enforcement in their county. Sounds like Otero County has a Sage brush Sheriff. Congratulations.

  8. one thing for you preppers out there
    on your shelves where you keep your glass jars of food is there somthing there to keep them on the shelf when theres an earthquake think about it i did

  9. Check out this action in Western Colorado where the Forest Service reconstructed a road they destroyed after we threatened to do it for them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joQzpWC-gCo

    and then we pulled out one of the BLM barricades limiting access to a County Road:

    http://westernslopewatchdog.com/2013/08/blm-opens-criminal-investigation-into-cushman-road-reopening-no-arrests/

    and http://westernslopewatchdog.com/2013/08/one-of-two-reopened-roads-near-olathe-to-remain-open/

    all for one, one for all!!!!

    Have fun. Rebellion to Tyranny is Obedience to God.

  10. I’m proud to see an elected official actually working FOR the people who elected him….Washington should take a lesson from the “little” people; we need to remove them when they don’t work for us…..Good for the ranchers and the local law enforcement there in New Mexico~ People, wake up!!!!!

  11. Kit Laney happened almost 10-years ago what are you people talking about? Wow do some research! I live in Catron county where it all happened. They put him in prison for trying to stop them. He lost everyhing.

    • If you work for the government, then Shut up you government hack. Nothing that comes out of the government’s mouth is fully truthful. NOTHING! So even if you are correct, I give your comment ZERO credibility. The government has, little by little, taught me to believe nothing they say without verification from private non-interested citizens or elsewhere. Just shut up.

        • Yeah, Sam is a lot more descriptive than John Doe? At least he put his last name, even if it is a popular one. :) I have already been audited by the IRS for being involved with the TEA party. I’ve learned to keep my distance.

  12. Jumping Mouse my butt– mice are a prey species which other critters eat- And if they too dumb or slow to avoid being stepped on by a lumbering cow coyotes and hawks would have wiped out long ago–

  13. It’s only to take a spark to ignite the anger western states have for the federal government.

    Rural Americans are as easy to dominate as city folks and the USG is now discovering this. It’s not an issue of who is right or wrong, but the killing of a hard working rancher that will probably cause a ground swelling.

    ( A TIME TO STAND by Oliver ) need to read this underground book out about decent Americans taking a stand against tyranny. I recommend it.

    • That “Rancher’s”main crop was foster children, all boys they provided free labor for him and Catholic Charities paid him over 100k year before last and for 2015 it looked to be around 125K.

      • If by “That Rancher” you mean LaVoy Finicum, yes he had foster children and no they were not all boys providing free labor. He was a good, decent, God fearing Patriot. He knew more about the constitution than most people and tried to educate ignorant fools such as yourself Susan Osborn. So unless you actually know all the facts, keep your mouth closed. Talking lies about the dead earns you a place in hell.

        • Everything Susan said is true. If he was a patriot why didn’t he pay his grazing fees. His knowledge of the constitution is questionable. He chose suicide by cop, guess he got what he asked for

          • neah girl, You no not of what you speak. LaVoy got out of his pickup with hands raised, to draw the shooting away from the truck, where one person had already been hit, and two women were inside. They all had rifle laser spots on them. He told the law to shoot him instead of those inside. He was shot with his hands in the air. The law is saying he was reaching for a gun inside his coat. He was trying to figure out where he’d been hit. He was shot again. Fell down with his hands still in the air. Was shot at least 3 more times and left laying there. Law officers didn’t even go over to “unarm” him, in case he was still alive. They knew he was dead and knew he wasn’t reaching for a firearm. The whole deal was set up ahead of time to trap him. AFter the first stop by the law, he told them he was going to drive back to the Sheriff’s and they could discuss things there. (Not out in the middle of nowhere with no protection or proof of what happened. The video of the shooting was filmed from a police chopper. His death was unwarranted. The FBI lied and said they didn’t shoot at the truck and that’s an out and out lie. This is another example of law enforcement becoming militarized against the very people they are sworn to serve and protect. You don’t shoot someone who has their hands in the air. PERIOD

  14. I’m curious, after a conversation with my dad last night, how many Americans would it take to cause true change. What percentage of focused, strong, vocal warriors is needed. I enjoy reading fellow minded views, but liberals aren’t in touch with patriot views…hence #fighting. If we want change, we must force change. Don’t forget the 1st, 2nd, and 10th amendments. Its our duty to uphold these rights.
    Oathkeepers.org

    • Just because you pack a gun, bible and flag doesn’t mean you are a patriot, far from it. Real patriots love their country. We have the opportunity to vote, that’s the only way change will come. No one is afraid of the piddling little gun nuts

  15. What is really endangered in America is Liberty. What is destroying it is the government, meaning the criminals running it and the judges upholding their criminal acts. What needs to be done is to arrest the criminals, execute the traitors and imprison the rest. Then we can restore our Constitutional Republic as it was intended.

  16. They are doing in Texas the south will rise and between NM and TX this is going to stop in its tracks.. Our governor will stop
    It in its tracks and so will there. Hope we the people are ready for this..

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