As Arizona seeks to fund border security, cartels move smuggling efforts west

By Bethany Blankley (The Center Square)

Since Governor Katie Hobbs was sworn in in January, the number of foreign nationals illegally entering Arizona has increased primarily through the Tucson area of ​​U.S. Customs and Border Protection. And as several factors, including expanding border security efforts in Texas, lead to an increase in illegal border crossings further west, law enforcement officials say Arizona can expect more. a greater number.

Arizona’s 378 miles of shared border with Mexico is patrolled by officers in two CBP sectors of Tucson and Yuma. Last month, officers from the two sectors combined apprehended 36,296 foreign nationals, up from 33,193 in January.

They also reported 19,698 getaways last month, down from 13,968 in January, according to preliminary data obtained by The Center Square from a Border Patrol agent. The officer provided the information on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. It only includes Border Patrol data and excludes Bureau of Field Operations data.

The Tucson area’s 262 shared border miles with Mexico stretch from the Yuma County line to the Arizona-New Mexico state line. The nearly 182,000 square miles of mostly desert terrain in the Yuma sector stretch from the Imperial Sand Dunes in California to the Yuma-Pima County line.

Broken down by area, officers in the Tucson area last month apprehended 25,371 foreign nationals and reported at least 18,603 escapes, according to the data.

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That’s up from January, when they apprehended 21,300 foreign nationals and reported 13,257 escapes.

It’s also up from a year ago, according to preliminary data previously reported by The Center Square. In February 2022, officers in the Tucson area apprehended 22,295 foreign nationals and reported 16,488 escapes. In January 2022, they apprehended 18,461 foreign nationals and reported 13,250 escapes, according to the data.

In contrast, Yuma sector figures were down overall. Last month, officers apprehended 10,295 foreign nationals and reported 1,095 escapes, the data shows; down from 11,893 arrests in January, but up from 711 escapes reported in January.

In February 2022, the Yuma sector reported 22,893 arrests and 3,134 escapes; in January 2022, 25,070 arrests and 2,516 escapes, according to the data.

Overall, in fiscal year 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 have entered the United States illegally primarily between ports of entry who intentionally seek to evade capture by law enforcement and do not return to Mexico. They do not arrive at ports of entry to seek asylum or make other immigration applications and are mostly single military-age men who are considered dangerous, the Border Patrol chief said. of the Tucson area, John Modlin, before Congress last month.

“The smuggling organizations in our south are very well organized and resourceful,” he said, referring to Mexican cartels. “Everyone passing through the Tucson area has to pay these criminal organizations,” he said. “The migrants we meet are completely camouflaged by the smugglers’ organizations before crossing. Most flee 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.

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Due to several factors, including increased Texas border security efforts, illegal border crossings are increasing further west, including in the Tucson area, which reported the highest number of escapades last month. .

As Texas Governor Greg Abbott continues to step up apprehension efforts and the Texas Legislature prepares to allocate nearly $5 billion to border security efforts, Hobbs has pledged to withdraw funding of the Arizona Border Strike Force, which would have the most negative impact on local law enforcement, Jobe Dickinson, president of the Border Security Alliance, told The Center Square.

“Currently in Arizona, Governor Hobbs is recommending cut funding to the Border Strike Force that helps local law enforcement supplement Border Patrol responsibilities. This makes it an easy decision for cartels to start moving their smuggling routes, increasingly to Arizona,” he said.

With the expansion of Texas operations, Dickinson said, “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 to the United States.

Since March 2021, Texas’ Operation Lone Star multi-agency efforts have led to an unprecedented 352,000 arrests of illegal alien nationals and more than 25,000 criminal arrests, with more than 23,000 felony charges reported. , according to state data.

Syndicated with permission from The central square.