Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs recently signed an executive order, launching Operation Desert Guardian to target drug and migrant smuggling, as well as gun-running in four counties along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The initiative, designed to address transnational criminal organizations, will create a state partnership between municipal police, county sheriffs, and federal agencies, with a focus on the Yuma, Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise counties.
The operation will be funded by the state’s Border Security Fund, which currently holds $28 million.
The task force will work to identify vulnerabilities along the 370-mile border and disrupt illegal activities such as human trafficking, drug smuggling, and gun-running to Mexico.
Governor Hobbs emphasized that the operation aims to protect Arizona’s communities and curb criminal activity.
However, the executive order has received mixed reactions from local sheriffs, with some expressing concerns over personnel deployment and the operation’s timing, given the recent drop in illegal border crossings.
Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels, though, praised the initiative for its common-sense approach.