Crack Down on Immigration Crimes

According to the Arizona Daily Star, the Arizona Department of Public Safety has recently formed a new task force to help law enforcement agencies along the border. The task force will primarily focus on dismantling organized gang activity and also the smuggling of illegal narcotics. The project is called the "Arizona Border Strike Force," and Governor Janet Napolitano plans to put the project into action immediately.

This special task force has most recently become a popular topic because of the consistent crimes surrounding the border. For example, on February 7, U.S. Border Patrol agents seized 2,500 pounds of Marijuana in the Sierra Vista area. Agents were able to follow a 2006 Ford F-250 into the town of Whetstone, where the driver, a Mexican illegal immigrant, left the truck and tried to escape. The man was eventually caught and police found 1,374 pounds of marijuana in the Ford pick-up truck.

The second arrest occurred when Border Patrol agents spotted a 2005 Dodge Ram in Sierra Vista. The driver of the Dodge fled from Border Patrol but was later caught with the help of a Customs and Border Protection helicopter (http://www.cbp.gov/). Agents were able to recover 1,099 pounds of marijuana, and the drugs were later turned over the Drug Enforcement Agency (http://www.dea.gov/).

Another incident occurred on February 8, when three drug smugglers attempted to transport their drug loads past Border Patrol agents. The unique part about this particular bust, is the fact that the smugglers were all on horseback. According to reports, around 5:45 a.m., 10 miles east of Nogales, a camera spotted three horses, strapped with what appeared to be luggage. The men on horseback fled back into Mexico, and therefore none of the riders were arrested. But, agents recovered 529 pounds of marijuana. Smuggling drugs on horseback isn't new to the Border Patrol.

Horses are often used because they are faster than humans, make less noise, and also have the ability to cross rough terrain, such a desert plain or a range of mountains. According to the Arizona Daily Star, "From Oct. 1 through Jan. 31, agents seized 299,154 pounds of marijuana, more than 2,400 pounds a day. The totals represent a 31 percent increase from the same period in fiscal year 2006, when the amount of marijuana seized shattered previous records."

All information taken from:

*http://www.azstarnet.com/

*http://www.sxc.hu/index.phtml