As Arizona looks to defund border security, cartels move smuggling efforts west | Just The News
By: Bethany Blankley (Just The News)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Since Gov. Katie Hobbs was sworn into office in January, the number of foreign nationals illegally entering Arizona has increased primarily in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Tucson Sector. And as several factors, including Texas expanding border security efforts, are resulting in illegal border crossings increasing further west, law enforcement officials say Arizona can expect greater numbers.
Arizona's 378 miles of shared border with Mexico is patrolled by agents in two CBP sectors of Tucson and Yuma. Last month, agents in both sectors combined apprehended 36,296 foreign nationals, up from 33,193 in January.
They also reported 19,698 gotaways last month, up from 13,968 in January, according to preliminary data obtained by The Center Square from a Border Patrol agent. The agent provided the information on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. It only includes Border Patrol data and excludes Office of Field Operations data.
Tucson Sector's 262 shared border miles with Mexico extends from the Yuma County line to the Arizona-New Mexico state line. Yuma Sector's nearly 182,000 square miles of primarily desert terrain extends from Imperial Sand Dunes in California to the Yuma-Pima County line.
Broken down by sector, last month Tucson Sector agents apprehended 25,371 foreign nationals and reported at least 18,603 gotaways, according to the data.
This is up from January, when they apprehended 21,300 foreign nationals and reported 13,257 gotaways.
It's also up from a year ago, according to preliminary data previously reported by The Center Square. In February 2022, Tucson Sector agents apprehended 22,295 foreign nationals and reported 16,488 gotaways. In January 2022, they apprehended 18,461 foreign nationals and reported 13,250 gotaways, according to the data.
By contrast, Yuma Sector's numbers overall were down. Last month, agents apprehended 10,295 foreign nationals and reported 1,095 gotaways, according to the data; down from January's 11,893 apprehensions but up from January's 711 reported gotaways.
In February 2022, Yuma Sector reported 22,893 apprehensions and 3,134 gotaways; in January 2022, 25,070 apprehensions and 2,516 gotaways, according to the data.
Overall in fiscal 2022, nearly 816,000 foreign nationals were apprehended or evaded law enforcement after illegally entering Arizona, according to Border Patrol data obtained by The Center Square.
Gotaways refers to those who are known and reported to illegally enter the U.S. primarily between ports of entry who intentionally seek to evade capture by law enforcement and don't return to Mexico. They don't arrive at ports of entry claiming asylum or making other immigration claims and are mostly single military age men who are considered dangerous, Tucson Sector Border Patrol Chief John Modlin testified before Congress last month.
"The smuggling organizations to our south are very well organized and resourceful," he said, referring to Mexican cartels. "Each and every person crossing through the Tucson Sector must pay these criminal organizations," he said. "The migrants we encounter are completely outfitted in camouflage by the smuggling organizations before they cross. Most run from and fight our agents to avoid apprehension. Many are previously deported felons who know they are inadmissible to the United States and many pose a serious threat to our communities."
Due to several factors, including Texas' expanded border security efforts, illegal border crossings are increasing farther west, including in the Tucson Sector, which reported the greatest number of gotaways last month.
As Texas Gov. Greg Abbott continues to beef up apprehension efforts and the Texas legislature prepares to allocate nearly $5 billion to border security efforts, Hobbs has vowed to defund Arizona's Border Strike Force, which would negatively impact local law enforcement the most, Jobe Dickinson, president of the Border Security Alliance, told The Center Square.
"Currently in Arizona, Governor Hobbs is recommending cutting funding to the border strike force that helps local law-enforcement supplement Border Patrol's responsibilities. This makes an easy decision for the cartels to start shifting their smuggling routes, more and more into Arizona," he said.
With Texas' operations expanding, Dickinson said, "The cartels run a business. They will choose the path of least resistance in order to lose as little product as possible," referring to the smuggling of people and drugs from Mexico into the U.S.
Since March 2021, Texas' Operation Lone Star multi-agency efforts have led to an unprecedented 352,000 apprehensions of illegal foreign nationals and over 25,000 criminal arrests, with more than 23,000 felony charges reported, according to state data.
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Arizona is in keeping with the Biden Administrations Open Border Policy. I guess Governor Hobbs is dumb enough to ignore problems with the border like Biden.
So, it wasn't enough to dismantle Ducey's border wall. Somehow replacing shipping containers with Welcome mats doesn't seem like a good idea. Next thing we know, Hobbs will be adding a migrant terminal at Sky Harbor. New York, here they come!
She is a Democrat after all. Common sense and critical thinking are out of the question.
Lake is the only reason she won. Had the Republicans run anybody who was a moderate and not a hard-core election denier the election would have turned out differently.
Now the question becomes, can the Republicans run a moderate?
They did in the last election but Karrin Taylor Robson lost in the primary due to the Trump connection. Still too many Republicans listening to Trump.
Ergo Lake lacked "common sense and critical thinking" ...
They just need to run the same system as Democrats.
Smear the living hell out of your opponents; and run ballot harvesting programs.
Don't campaign, debate, or hold rallies.
Republican's can run a rock and still come up with better common sense than what the Democrats have provided.
If Democrats would tax fentanyl then maybe Democrats could pay for these goofy ideas. But, no, Democrats dump the burden on American taxpayers.
Why do Democrats always hand American taxpayers the dirty end of the stick? With friends like that, we don't need enemies.
I think because those who vote Democrat are dumb enough to believe that democrats will look out for them.
Interesting retort given the last election.
The answer to my question then seems to be, "NO!" At least for now... perhaps sanity can win out next year, but I doubt it. Even without the Trump connection the MAGA Populist brand isn't really all that popular outside of the base and drives more voters away from the party than too it.
“Now the question becomes, can the Republicans run a moderate?”
Impossible to name one. They have all been censured, retired, or run for the hills.
Sure.
and exactly what does ANY of that have to do with a Democrat opening up their states borders to illegals?
Lets bring it back to the topic.
They're out there. It's just a question of how long before enough of them can win to make a difference.
If you all here weren't so blindly partisan I'd agree more often.
”…weren't so blindly partisan…”
….when nearly every post is prefaced with a ‘democrat’ or ‘brandon’ reference, or worse, idiotically, incessantly complaining about syntax when nothing else can be disputed.
Sure.
Enlighten us. Name an electable GOP moderate these daze…
“…I am not your flunky…”
No, tex, you’re my bitch…
Where is Sheriff Joe when you need him?
Hiding from taxpayers?
With the flow of illegals across the border comes the drugs. So....
House Dems vote against bill to permanently classify fentanyl as Schedule 1 controlled substance
Cartels laughing their asses off.
It is doubtful that Democrats are even smart enough to get on the Cartel's payroll. They are doing this all for free.
It takes a special type of stupidity; and the Democrats have it in abundance.
"Hey everyone some people are lucky enough to survive FRS by shear dumb luck; or fast/great medical help. We can't charge transporters and sellers as murderers when their victims survive!" Have they ever heard of attempted murder?
Maybe charging these Democrats as accessories might get things right.
So two pounds of fentanyl has the ability of kill 500,000 people, but the Democrats vote against classifying this drug as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. So far in 2023 (and it's only March 10th) the US has seized 8,170,000 fentanyl pills and over 1,660 pounds of fentanyl. That is enough for 47.2 million fatal doses.
.
But marijuana is still classified as a Schedule 1 drug... all I can say is WTF..
This is what happens shen you elect stupid people.