For the past two years, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) has seen dramatic increases related to vehicle pursuits, drug seizures, and calls to the U.S. Border Patrol for illegal immigrants. Pinal County is the number one pass through county in all of America for drug and human trafficking. Below are comparisons for the past four years.

 

Year	Pounds of Seized Marijuana	Pursuits	Calls to U.S. Border Patrol
2007	28,093	142	188
2008	19,619	140	169
2009	44,963	289	270
2010	44,819	335	370

 

   

 

   

Sadly, these numbers do not reflect other violence or violent crimes related to drug smuggling that has taken place during this past year; including, two officer involved shootings, the execution of a cartel member in Casa Grande, AZ, the killing of two men in Vekol Valley (who were part of a Rip Crew), a man who was kidnapped in Phoenix and because he was unable to post the ransom demand, he was shot twice in Vekol Valley, as well as a victim who was stabbed in Casa Grande as part of a “Cartel Hit.”. On the human smuggling side of immigration, our deputies have gone into the desert countless times to help those who were abandoned by their “Coyotes.” These cases included a six and eleven-year-old who were abandoned by “Coyotes” and forced to drink their own urine for two days in order to survive.

 

   

 

   

 

Sheriff Paul Babeu stated, “Homeland Security Director, Janet Napolitano has told all of America the border is more secure now than ever. In fact she is on a weeklong trip in the Middle East and Europe to address international and regional security. If the border is more secure now than ever, how come we are seeing these dramatic increases. Each and every time a vehicle flees from my deputies it puts them and everybody else on the roadway at risk. These numbers truly show the border is not secure and needs immediate attention.”