PCSO: New task force targeting drug, human smuggling successful in first month

FLORENCE, AZ - The West Desert Task Force says it has seen promising results in the first month of its existence netting at least 30 arrests and seizing more than 10,000 pounds of marijuana in the Pinal County desert area.

The alliance, which was formed January 16, targets human and drug smuggling through and around the Pinal County desert. It’s a joint effort between U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, and other local agencies.

Over the past month, the task force has been responsible for 30 arrests linked to smuggling, according to Pinal County Sheriff’s spokesperson Elias Johnson. Johnson also says the task force has seized 10,785 pounds of marijuana and recovered 18 stolen vehicles.

Just this past Tuesday, members of the W.D.T.F. found a suspect, who was in the country illegally from Mexico, living on a hill in Pinal County. The task force says the suspect was “scouting” the area and passing information to fellow smugglers.

During the search, task force members say they also found other scout camps in the area along with other items used for camping such as binoculars, radio chargers, and clothes.

Despite the recent results, Sheriff Paul Babeu released the following statement: "I'm grateful for the cooperation we've seen with our local ICE: Homeland Security Investigations and Border Patrol agents. No agency can make this happen alone. In the past month we've show the problem hasn't slowed down, the border is not fully secure and the drug cartels from Mexico continue to rebuild even after historic levels of enforcement."