Associated Press

VICTORIA — The Texas leader of the Minuteman volunteer border patrol group has resigned, saying the chapter lacks structure and claiming racist tendencies among members from his area, a newspaper reported.

Bill Parmley, a Goliad County landowner who heads the Texas chapter of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, resigned by e-mail Monday in a letter to Chris Simcox, the group's national president, and Goliad County Sheriff Robert DeLaGarza, the Victoria Advocate reported in today's editions.

The Minuteman group drew national attention earlier this year for its volunteer patrols of the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona. It is planning similar patrols in Texas this fall, and Simcox said the resignation would not change those plans

Parmley, who lives in the tiny Goliad County town of Sarco, accused members of working to undermine DeLaGarza because he is Hispanic. He also said the group was holding secret meetings without him in violation of the bylaws.

"The Sarco group has chosen to go a different course than what I feel is in the best interest of the organization nationally and locally," Parmley said in an interview with the Advocate.

Kenneth Buelter, the Sarco group's vice president, denied both accusations. He said a meeting with District Attorney Mike Sheppard questioned DeLaGarza's use of felons on work details but had nothing to do with the Minuteman group or other immigration issues. Sheppard declined to discuss details of the meeting.

DeLaGarza said he was unaware of efforts to undermine his authority.

"The community itself will not tolerate racism in Goliad County," he said.

If Minuteman members should step out of line, "the community is going to come down on those people, not us," DeLaGarza said.

Buelter said he was surprised by Parmley's resignation but acknowledged recent differences of opinion. He declined to elaborate.

Was it ever in doubt that the main motive of a majority of these dorks was racism, all a along?