News
Congresswoman Giffords, Adm. Thad Allen hold border briefing
By Dana Cole/Herald/Review
When it comes to the country's border security issues, Arizona faces tough challenges. Arizona's porous border with Mexico has created a security crisis for our state, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords said.
On Friday, Giffords hosted a multi-agency briefing that featured Adm. Thad Allen, the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard and head of the Drug Interdiction Committee.
The briefing was held at the University of Arizona National Center for Border Security and Immigration in Tucson and included representatives from all levels of law enforcement.
Organized as a follow-up to a Border Violence Summit that Giffords convened in April, the meeting was intended to promote collaboration and communication across federal, state and county agencies.
"At that summit, more than 60 participants came together to discuss how we could improve coordination and the effectiveness of our work to combat the drug cartels," Giffords said during an opening address, according to her
press secretary. "We all know that we have challenges here in Southern Arizona unlike any other part of the country."
Giffords called the summit to address the rising level of violence caused by drug cartels.
She also noted that 47 percent of the total drug seizures in the nation occur in the Tucson Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, which includes Cochise County. In addition, 45 percent of total illegal immigrant apprehensions occur in the Tucson Sector.
During the briefing, Allen discussed how various law enforcement entities work together to build effective partnerships to disrupt illegal drug trafficking.
As chairman of the U.S. Interdiction Committee, a group of 13 federal agencies responsible for the country's fight against drug smuggling and for improving border security, Allen discussed drug interdiction strategies.
"I thought the briefing was very informative," said Chief Deputy Rodney Rothrock of the Cochise County Sheriff's Office. "Most of the briefing was by Adm. Allen, who talked to us about the Coast Guard's role when it comes to stopping smugglers on the ocean."
One of the purposes of the meeting, Rothrock said, was to discuss the collaborative effort between different levels of law enforcement and border security agencies.
"The Interdiction Committee is gearing up for comprehensive immigration reform that will prevent illegal border crossers from coming into the country for economic reasons," Rothrock said. "By preventing them from crossing for economic reasons, they're hoping it will free up law enforcement enough to allow better control of drug trafficking activity."
Allen also touched on the network of tunnels leading into the U.S. from Mexico. The tunnels, Rothrock said, were cited as smugglers' reaction to increased enforcement efforts in this area.
Tom Alinen, deputy chief of the Sierra Vista Police Department, also attended the briefing.
"Adm. Allen is an impressive speaker," Alinen said. "When I got the invitation to attend, I wondered what a Coast Guard admiral could tell me about border issues. But he had some good global insights about what is going on in the world. I didn't realize how much the Cost Guard is doing to stop the flow of drugs before they get into the U.S."
Alinen said about half the drugs coming into the country from Mexico are brought in through Arizona, creating serious border security concerns.
"The president of Mexico's aggressive stance against drugs and cartels has been beneficial to the drug interdiction efforts when it comes to curtailing drug smuggling," Alinen said. "But law enforcement in Mexico is paying a heavy price against the cartels."
Forty two people from federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement entities attended the briefing.
"The admiral was in Mexico for the Mexican Independence Day celebration on Sept. 16," said C.J. Karamargin, who is Giffords' communications director. "He was in Sierra Vista yesterday (Sept. 17) to look at the unmanned aerial surveillance systems used to patrol the border."
With roots in Arizona, Allen is a graduate of Palo Verde High School in Tucson. He went through the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, graduating in 1971.
"This was an important meeting because the scourge of illegal drugs affects every level of our society," Karamargin said. "And every level of our society must work together to bring it to a halt. By allowing law enforcement agencies and governments of all levels to sit around the same table and talk to each other and ask questions, we get a step closer to achieving that goal."
On Friday, Giffords hosted a multi-agency briefing that featured Adm. Thad Allen, the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard and head of the Drug Interdiction Committee.
The briefing was held at the University of Arizona National Center for Border Security and Immigration in Tucson and included representatives from all levels of law enforcement.
Organized as a follow-up to a Border Violence Summit that Giffords convened in April, the meeting was intended to promote collaboration and communication across federal, state and county agencies.
"At that summit, more than 60 participants came together to discuss how we could improve coordination and the effectiveness of our work to combat the drug cartels," Giffords said during an opening address, according to her
press secretary. "We all know that we have challenges here in Southern Arizona unlike any other part of the country."
Giffords called the summit to address the rising level of violence caused by drug cartels.
She also noted that 47 percent of the total drug seizures in the nation occur in the Tucson Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, which includes Cochise County. In addition, 45 percent of total illegal immigrant apprehensions occur in the Tucson Sector.
During the briefing, Allen discussed how various law enforcement entities work together to build effective partnerships to disrupt illegal drug trafficking.
As chairman of the U.S. Interdiction Committee, a group of 13 federal agencies responsible for the country's fight against drug smuggling and for improving border security, Allen discussed drug interdiction strategies.
"I thought the briefing was very informative," said Chief Deputy Rodney Rothrock of the Cochise County Sheriff's Office. "Most of the briefing was by Adm. Allen, who talked to us about the Coast Guard's role when it comes to stopping smugglers on the ocean."
One of the purposes of the meeting, Rothrock said, was to discuss the collaborative effort between different levels of law enforcement and border security agencies.
"The Interdiction Committee is gearing up for comprehensive immigration reform that will prevent illegal border crossers from coming into the country for economic reasons," Rothrock said. "By preventing them from crossing for economic reasons, they're hoping it will free up law enforcement enough to allow better control of drug trafficking activity."
Allen also touched on the network of tunnels leading into the U.S. from Mexico. The tunnels, Rothrock said, were cited as smugglers' reaction to increased enforcement efforts in this area.
Tom Alinen, deputy chief of the Sierra Vista Police Department, also attended the briefing.
"Adm. Allen is an impressive speaker," Alinen said. "When I got the invitation to attend, I wondered what a Coast Guard admiral could tell me about border issues. But he had some good global insights about what is going on in the world. I didn't realize how much the Cost Guard is doing to stop the flow of drugs before they get into the U.S."
Alinen said about half the drugs coming into the country from Mexico are brought in through Arizona, creating serious border security concerns.
"The president of Mexico's aggressive stance against drugs and cartels has been beneficial to the drug interdiction efforts when it comes to curtailing drug smuggling," Alinen said. "But law enforcement in Mexico is paying a heavy price against the cartels."
Forty two people from federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement entities attended the briefing.
"The admiral was in Mexico for the Mexican Independence Day celebration on Sept. 16," said C.J. Karamargin, who is Giffords' communications director. "He was in Sierra Vista yesterday (Sept. 17) to look at the unmanned aerial surveillance systems used to patrol the border."
With roots in Arizona, Allen is a graduate of Palo Verde High School in Tucson. He went through the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, graduating in 1971.
"This was an important meeting because the scourge of illegal drugs affects every level of our society," Karamargin said. "And every level of our society must work together to bring it to a halt. By allowing law enforcement agencies and governments of all levels to sit around the same table and talk to each other and ask questions, we get a step closer to achieving that goal."
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