Sheriffs from Cochise and Yuma counties in southern Arizona took to the floor of the Arizona House of Representatives on Wednesday to paint a somber picture of the situation unfolding at the U.S.-Mexico border. Describing scenes of rampant human smuggling and drug trafficking, Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels didn't mince words, stating, "I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly of this border after four decades, and right now, it's the ugliest I've ever seen it," as reported by AZFamily.com.
In what was a clear cry for help from state officials, the sheriffs highlighted the significant increase in crime, with Dannels revealing that his county had booked a staggering 2,884 individuals for border crimes over the last 24 months. Of those, "only 154 were foreign-born or non-citizens," he told lawmakers, indicating a nationwide pull to his rural backdoor. "The rest, sad to say, are U.S. citizens coming from all over the country to commit international crimes against us, America," according to a session attended by both sheriffs.
Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot painted an equally distressing picture, referencing a direct confrontation his son had with cartel members, leading to a deadly shooting, "My son was actually involved in a shooting with the cartels where they tried to kill him, and he shot and killed one of them. The next day, they called my office and said, 'Tell the sheriff they called from Mexico. We're going to kill him,'" Dannels disclosed in the joint session detailed by FOX 10 Phoenix.
The financial strain on local law enforcement was also a focal point, with Wilmot outlining costs such as the $70,000 spent annually by Yuma County on mobile restrooms to prevent migrants from contaminating produce fields with waste - an issue with direct consequences on harvests. "Right now, we're working on those ten known smuggling houses, stash houses, was for lack of a better term. A big part of what we have to deal with are the rapes, robberies and the homicides. Deaths in the desert. Doing rescues. Like I said, the cartels exploit the weaknesses," Wilmot further explained, shedding light on the grim realities faced by local authorities.
The briefings come on the heels of the Lukeville Port of Entry reopening after being shuttered for a month due to an overwhelming surge of migrants at the border. U.S. officials have since observed a sharp decrease in illegal crossings, attributing it to enhanced enforcement by Mexican authorities, a phenomenon that offers a glimmer of cooperation amidst the otherwise dire situation sketched out by the sheriffs.
