As part of the fight against fentanyl and other deadly drugs being pushed into communities across the country, law enforcement officers in Marion County will next week raid one of the drug-trafficking hotspots along the U.S. southern border. I will attend a seminar held in
Marion County Sheriff Matt Bales, Marion Police Chief Jay McDonald, and Marion County Prosecutor Ray Grogan participate in the Border-to-Backyard program in Cochise County, Arizona. Located in the southeastern part of Arizona, it borders Mexico to the south and New Mexico to the east.
Cochise County Sheriff Mark Danells conducted a program for law enforcement officials across the country to “educate and raise awareness about the facts and realities of border security at all levels.” A veteran of law enforcement with his 38 years of experience, Dunnells is a staunch advocate of border security. He is a former member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Advisory Board and is currently a member of the National Sheriffs Association and Chair of Border Security.
Bayles said he learned about the program at a recent seminar held by Sheriff Kieran Donahue of Canyon County, Idaho.
“When I talk to[Donahue]after class, there are a lot of similar issues between his county in Idaho and Marion County,” Bailes explained. I suggested that the agency go to the border and see what is going on at the border up to the cartels and what they are doing there.”
Part of the program includes learning about drug cartels and how they operate, Bayles said. In the second part of the program, you’ll be on-site with Cochise County Sheriff’s Deputies and state and federal agents patrolling the Arizona-Mexico border.
“[The Donnells]said they have arrested more than 1,600 people who have crossed the border since the beginning of the year,” Bailes said. “Fentanyl flowing into Marion County is crossing the southern border. so we need to learn about the ongoing problems there and how what they learn can be used to help in Marion. We’re also talking about buying and selling, which is a big problem[at the southern border]and across the country as well.”
The trip will be paid for using funds seized by the MARMET Counter-Drug Office from drug traffickers arrested in Marion County. No local taxpayer dollars will be used, Bailes said.
McDonald said he looks forward to “seeing what’s true” on the southern border rather than relying on secondary or tertiary information. I believe there is.
“This gives you the opportunity to go and see and talk to the people doing the work,” McDonald said. “If you’re in the car with the Interdiction Officers who go about their day-to-day business, I think you’ll be able to talk to some of the people coming across the border.
“I think we all realize that a lot of people come to work in factories and farms, but there are a lot of people who are victims of human trafficking, victims of cartels. There may be an opportunity to look at all three first-hand and try to figure out how best to protect the communities we pledged to do.
Between 2018 and 2021, local law enforcement officers seized enough fentanyl to kill about two million people, Grogan said. But the problem escalated last year, he said. In 2022 alone, law enforcement officers seized enough fentanyl in Marion County to kill more than a million people.
He said that despite the influx of illegal drugs that killed many in the community, Marion is still a “great place.”
“I want to be clear: Marion is a great community,” said Grogan. “When we talk about the problems we’ve experienced with drag and especially with Marion, it tends to paint our community in a negative light. I want to be careful not to do that. This place is a wonderful place to live.” We need to feed our family. But we have problems and we need to do everything we can to solve them.
Email: ecarter@gannett.com | Twitter: @AndrewACCarter
