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PARENTS KEEPING THEIR KIDS OUT OF SCHOOL OUT OF FEAR. POLICE ARMING THEMSELVES WITH MACHINE GUNS. THAT'S WHAT WE FOUND WHEN WE VISITED THE BORDER TOWNS OF COLUMBUS NEW MEXICO -- AND PALOMAS MEXICO. THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE BLOODSHED IN PALOMAS -- WHERE DRUGLORDS ARE WAGING WAR AGAINST EACH OTHER -- LEAVING BODIES IN THE STREETS. AS JEREMY JOJOLA REPORTS -- NEW MEXICANS ARE AFRAID THAT VIOLENCE WILL MAKE ITS WAY ACROSS THE BORDER. VIOLENCE EXPLODING IN THE SMALL MEXICAN BORDER TOWN OF PALOMAS .... ALL OF IT, POLICE BELIEVE, RELATED TO A TURF WAR BETWEEN DRUG CARTELS. JUST TWO MILES AWAY, BACK IN NEW MEXICO, THE MAYOR OF COLUMBUS SAYS PEOPLE WORRY IT'S GOING TO GET WORSE. 'unfortunately, we're afraid it's going to spill over onto this side because many of the people that work over there live here.''this is a bush master ar-15' IN LUNA COUNTY ALL DEPUTIES NOW CARRY ASSAULT RIFLES, PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE PALOMAS VIOLENCE. HUNDREDS OF BULLET SHELLS LITTERED THE TOWN OF PALOMAS AFTER THE MASSACRE OF SEVEN PEOPLE THIS WEEKEND. LUNA COUNTY SHERIFF RAYMOND COBOS SAYS HE'S TOLD ALL HIS DEPUTIES THEY COULD BE TARGETS TOO. 'if they came across for a purpose, either to hurt someone or to engage in their drug activities, that uh, confronted by a citizen, they would not hesitate to use whatever weapons at their disposal.' THE LOCAL PAPER REPORTS CHILDREN WHO CROSS THE BORDER FROM PALOMAS TO GO TO SCHOOL IN NEW MEXICO HAVE BEEN STAYING HOME TOO. RECENTLY, THE PALOMAS POLICE CHIEF APPROACHED THE PORT OF ENTRY, SEEKING ASYLUM OUT OF FEAR OF BEING EXECUTED. IT'S ALSO HERE WHERE 10 MEXICAN NATIONALS WITH BULLET WOUNDS HAVE TRIED CROSSING INTO NEW MEXICO DURING THE PAST YEAR. Jojola standup: here in palomas mexico we found a lot of business owners who were afraid to talk on camera...but they all said that the number of people coming visiting from new mexico to this side of the border has dropped significantly.' THE SHOPS HERE RELY HEAVILY NEW MEXICO SENIORS, WHO COME FROM ALBUQUERQUE AND LAS CRUCES, LOOKING FOR CHEAP MEDICATOIN AND DENTAL CARE. PALOMAS RESIDENT GABRIEL NAVAREZ SAYS EARNING A LIVING HAS BEEN DIFFICULT. 'before I had a restaruant, now its closed, because I didn't have enough customers.' FOR NOW, THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO SHOW ITS MIGHT. WHILE IN PALOMAS, WE SAW A CARAVAN OF FEDERALES -- MEXICO'S NATIONAL POLICE -- PATROLLING AROUND TOWN AS IF IT WERE A WAR ZONE. JEREMY JOJOLA EYEN4. IN THE WAKE OF THE PALOMAS VIOLENCE, GOVERNOR BILL RICHARDSON ANNOUNCED HE WILL SEEK MORE FUNDING FOR LAW ENFORCMENT ALONG THE BORDER.