Arizona Governor Signs Order for Border Security Task Force

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has launched 'Operation Desert Guardian,' an executive initiative aimed at enhancing border security and combating transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) involved in drug smuggling and human trafficking. The task force will include various state agencies and will focus on the four southern counties of Yuma, Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise. Hobbs emphasized her commitment to working with federal authorities and local law enforcement to identify vulnerabilities along the 370-mile border with Mexico. The initiative will be funded from a $28 million balance in Arizona's border security fund and will build on existing efforts from the previously established Task Force SAFE. Recent statistics highlight the severity of the fentanyl crisis, with Arizona ranking second in the nation for trafficking offenses related to the substance. The governor's decision reflects a trend of increased cooperation between Democratic state administrations and federal authorities on border security issues.