NACO, Arizona (NewsNation) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel are running thin as human smuggling incidents reach unprecedented levels and local authorities are feeling the effects.

CBP told NewsNation earlier this week that Border Patrol has been “too busy” assisting Cochise County sheriff’s deputies with immigration-related cases and has been unable to provide any assistance or response.

This is because border patrol operations are disrupted by the twice-daily transport of asylum seekers, as several officers are out of frontline duty for long periods of time multiple times each day.

Cochise County Sheriff’s Office records show an uptick in state and local enforcement bookings, with 121 traces in just over five months and on track to surpass last year’s record of 180. .

Border-related crimes such as human smuggling are taking a toll on Arizona’s finances. In the first three months of 2023 alone, incarceration costs for these crimes exceeded $1.3 million, more than double the same period last year.

Last year, the state charged $4.3 million in incarceration costs for border-related crimes. Over the past 18 months, $5.6 million has been spent just to imprison suspects for these crimes in the county alone.

Cochise County Sheriff Mark J. Donnells believes this is taxpayer money and should be spent elsewhere.

“This money could be used to help veterans, it could be used to help children, the elderly, and the community when it comes to their quality of life. are used for imprisonment,” he said. “What this means is the fact that we do not have a safe border. It is a false story.”

Danells stresses the need for the federal government to reengage and take steps to secure borders.

Meanwhile, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs is scheduled to travel to Cochise County next week to discuss subsidies and other border-related programs.