Wednesday, July 16, 2025
spot_imgspot_img
Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Milwaukee Press Club 'Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism' 2020 & 2021 Award Winners

Nearly 565,000 Illegal Border Crossers in Arizona in Fiscal 2024

spot_img

 

There were nearly 565,000 illegal border crossers reported in Arizona in fiscal 2024, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.

Arizona’s 378 miles of shared border with Mexico is staffed by CBP and Border Patrol agents in the CBP sectors of Tucson and Yuma. Tucson Sector’s 262-mile shared border 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.

The Tucson Sector has historically been one of the busiest along the U.S.-Mexico border. In fiscal 2024, Border Patrol agents there reported 463,567 illegal border crossers, the most of any sector along the southwest border during the year, which runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. The second greatest number was reported by San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents of nearly 325,000, The Center Square reported.

Tucson Office of Field Operations agents also reported 47,051 illegal border crossers in fiscal 2024, significantly less than San Diego OFO’s 183,890 over the same time period.

In CBP’s Yuma Sector, Border Patrol agents reported 53,877 illegal border crossers. Because of the sector’s vast desert, large drifting sand dunes, mountainous terrain, ever-changing Colorado River, and temperatures exceeding 120 degrees, Yuma Border Patrol agents often rescue illegal border crossers in distress.

Combined, apprehensions in Arizona totaled at least 564,495 in fiscal 2024 excluding gotaways, those who illegally entered and evaded capture. Data for both sectors is consistent with nationwide data: the overwhelming majority of illegal border crossers are single adults coming from all over the world.

In Tucson Sector’s Cochise County, Sheriff Mark Dannels says despite numerous requests, he’s never met with President Joe Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris the entire time they’ve been in office as his rural county has been pummeled with illegal border crossers and cartel-related crime.

“My community’s frustrated over the last three and a half years with what we’ve dealt with … when it comes to crime and the policies that have failed this country; the policies have failed our citizens, and the tragedies that my neighbors are addressing silently, because nobody’s listening,” Dannels, who is also the chairman of the National Sheriff’s Association for Border Security, said.

Over a 31-month period, his office booked 3,762 people in the county jail for border-related crimes, he said. “These are not immigration issues. These are border-related crimes, with double digit murders.”

In an investigation led by the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, Arizona Border Patrol chiefs expressed concerns about gotaways and national security risks. Tucson Sector Chief Border Patrol Agent John Modlin said, “When we make an arrest, we can then vet that person and find out, if they have a criminal history, if there are national security concerns. Gotaways are a public safety concern … potentially a national security concern.”

“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. 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.”

Modlin also expressed concerns about having to pull agents from other areas to deal with surges, a practice used across sectors, The Center Square reported. Yuma Sector Deputy Chief Border Patrol Agent Dustin Caudle said the sector’s three interior checkpoints are critical for interdicting gotaways, but the majority of fiscal 2022 and most of fiscal 2023 they were down, meaning the border was wide open and unmanned.

As Border Patrol agents were inundated with surges of illegal border crossers and given timeframes to process and release them into the country under Biden-Harris policies, background checks and vetting weren’t always performed and individuals on the terrorist watch list were released into the country, according to congressional investigations and Office of Inspector General reports. Americans living more than 2,600 miles away are also suffering consequences. Crimes being committed in New England can be traced back to foreign nationals who illegally entered the country in Arizona, The Center Square reported.

Despite ongoing challenges, federal, state and local law enforcement agents in Arizona have seized a record amount of fentanyl in the last few years, enough to kill billions of people. Earlier this year, CBP agents seized half a ton of fentanyl at the Lukeville Port of Entry in the Tucson Sector, the largest fentanyl seizure in CBP history. With two milligrams considered a lethal dose, and 22,696.2 lethal doses in a pound, they seized more than 453 million lethal doses, enough to kill roughly the entire population of the U.S. and Mexico.

Arizona parents who’ve lost children to fentanyl, like Josephine Dunn, have called on the Arizona legislature and Congress to act, The Center Square reported.

As the Biden-Harris administration escalated flights of illegal foreign nationals into the country, Arizona’s border apprehensions were down in fiscal 2024 compared to the more than 775,000 reported in fiscal 2023, The Center Square first reported.

Bethany Blankley
Go to Source
Reposted with permission

ron tusler

Governor Caught Playing Politics with Brillion Residents’ Lives & Livelihood [COLUMN]

This is a column by state Rep. Ron Tusler At 1:30 a.m., while most of Wisconsin was asleep, Governor Evers quietly vetoed a project that...
Brown Deer Police

Boy Invites Brown Deer Cops to His Lemonade Stand & Gets His Wish

A boy invited Brown Deer police over to his lemonade stand and got his wish! It's the heartwarming story of the day, and Brown Deer...
jerome powell

Fed Chair Candidates & New York’s Mayoral Race

Before we talk about the candidates for the Fed Chair position, let’s discuss for a moment the problem with Chair Powell’s current thinking. Right...

Q&A with Tommy Clark, Author of The 2020 Portland Riots: A Fight Against Domestic Terrorism

By Chris Mann Read part 1: Chris Mann's review of The 2020 Portland Riots: A Fight Against Domestic Terrorism by Tommy Clark. Tommy Clark and...

Protecting Portland: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished [REVIEW]

By Chris Mann An In-Depth Review of The 2020 Portland Riots: A Fight Against Domestic Terrorism by Tommy Clark. This summary is the second in...
Governor’s Veto Powers Wisconsin Republicans Parental Bill of Rights Outlaw Child Sex Dolls Embrace Them Both Unemployment Reforms Wisconsin’s Professional Licensing Bail Reform Amendment wisconsin covid-19

Conservative Wins in the Wisconsin State Budget Bill That Passed July 3

Wisconsin has a divided government, and, with a Democrat in the governor's mansion, conservatives were not going to get everything they wanted. However, there...

Shorewood Officer Shot; Glendale Pursues Suspect, Who Appears Dead

A Shorewood, Wisconsin, police officer was shot but saved by his bulletproof vest in the early morning hours of July 3. Several hours later, Glendale...
kendall corder

MPD Confirms Sad News That Officer Kendall Corder Has Died; Procession Unfolding

The Milwaukee Police Department has officially confirmed the tragic news that Officer Kendall Corder has died in the line of duty. Earlier in the day,...

Oconomowoc Rotary Refuses to Document ‘Threats’ & There’s No Police Reports

Getting criticized is hard, but reasonable criticism - even heated criticism - is not a threat. And it's what representative democracy is all about,...
kendall corder, tremaine jones

Tremaine Jones: Milwaukee DA Declined to Prosecute Him 4 Times Leading Up to Officer Shooting

KEY FINDINGS: Accused cop shooter Tremaine Jones was given a deferred prosecution agreement for a 2021 Milwaukee case involving a stolen Kia and...
Killed by Milwaukee Reckless Drivers Milwaukee Reckless Drivers Kill Box In Milwaukee Police

2 Milwaukee Police Officers Shot Near 25th & Garfield

Two Milwaukee police officers were shot on the evening of June 26, police confirmed. One officer remains in critical condition and the second does...
josh schoemann Washington County’s Early Vote

2026 GOP Candidate Josh Schoemann Challenges Evers’ Budget Approach

(The Center Square) – Josh Schoemann, the only Republican currently in the race for governor next year, is criticizing Gov. Tony Evers’ approach to the next state budget by comparing it to his plans in Washington County.

“In Washington County our budget cycle starts right now, and it’s not due until November. We will propose our budget goals to the County Board in the next couple of months. We will share ‘This is what we’re thinking.’ It gives them months of time to think those through, give us feedback, and [have] that kind of dialogue,” Schoemann explained in an interview on News Talk 1130 WISN.

Schoemann said that is far better than the approach Evers is taking again this year.

“That’s not how government is supposed to work,” Schoemann said. “It’s not the vision of the governor. It’s not the vision of any one person.”

Evers and the Republican legislative leaders who will write the budget have been involved in on-again, off-again budget talks this month. On Thursday, the governor’s office said those talks were off once again because of gridlock in the Senate.

“Ultimately, the Senate needs to decide whether they were elected to govern and get things done or not,” Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback said in a post on X.

Schoemann’s criticism of Evers is nothing new. He has long been a critic of the governor and has turned that criticism up since launching his campaign for governor.

But the recent criticism was also aimed at other Republicans who may jump into the 20206 governor’s race later this year.

“Nobody else in this race on the Republican side, being rumored to this point, has the executive leadership of skills and history to be able to show ‘This is how I’ve done it before, and here’s how we’ll do it Madison,’” Schoemann said. “The results in Washington County speak for themselves.”

Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany is also rumored to be looking to get into the Republican race. Before he went to Congress, Tiffany was a Republican lawmaker in Madison.

Businessman and veteran Bill Berrien is also on the short list of likely GOP candidates for 2026.

richard van buren

Richard Van Buren Arrested in Dodge County Dog’s Death, Sheriff Says

Richard Van Buren, the chairman of the Chester Town Board in Wisconsin, was arrested in the death of a golden retriever dog in rural...

Rep. Donovan, Greenfield Officials Outraged at Release of Accused Random Stabber

State Rep. Bob Donovan and top Greenfield officials are expressing outrage and concern over the release of a man who is accused of randomly...

Dodge County Dog’s Death Under Investigation by Wisconsin Sheriff

Update: Richard Van Buren, the chairman of the Town of Chester Board, has now been arrested. See the story here. The Dodge County Sheriff's Office...
Anthony LoCoco

Anthony LoCoco Running for WI Court of Appeals to Defend the Constitution

Note: Anthony LoCoco, of Waukesha, has worked for the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty and the Institute for Reforming Government. He is...

Milwaukee Alderman Voices Frustration at ‘Crumbling’ Roads, Massive Cost Estimate

The Common Council’s Finance and Personnel Committee heard from City Engineer Kevin Muhs today "about a newly released report from the Department of Public...

Oconomowoc Rotary Club Apologizes, Reverses Course After July 4 Parade Mess

The Oconomowoc Rotary Club has apologized for the mess surrounding its July 4 parade and will now allow political parties and elected representatives to...
Killed by Milwaukee Reckless Drivers Milwaukee Reckless Drivers Kill Box In Milwaukee Police

Milwaukee Police Officer Shot by Armed Suspect in Foot Chase, Department Says

Two ghost guns were recovered. A Milwaukee police officer was shot by an armed suspect who refused to drop his gun during a foot chase...

Milwaukee Police Association Raises Alarm on Low District 7 Staffing

The Milwaukee Police Association is raising the alarm about severely low staffing levels in District 7, one of the city's busiest police districts. The MPA,...