In a press briefing today, Monday, November 3, 2014, Sheriff Joe Arpaio said this clandestine operation, which began October 1, 2014 served as a baseline for future campaigns he plans to conduct in the entire county but with a specific concentration on the desert areas in the southern portion of Maricopa County, the established route for drug and human traffickers from Mexico into the United States.
The Sheriff’s stepped up enforcement resulted in the seizure of over two and a half tons of marijuana, 26 pounds of methamphetamine, and nearly 11 pounds of heroin. Thirty eight (38) suspects have been arrested for drug trafficking and over $147,349 cash and six vehicles were also seized. The total street value of all drugs seized, Arpaio says, is just shy of $4 (four) million dollars.
Arpaio, who once served as the Regional Director for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Mexico City and was later named head of the DEA in Arizona, says ‘Operation Borderline’ underscores the need for a stepped up law enforcement pursuit of these drug traffickers.
“Obviously the need exists for a continuous law enforcement emphasis using all the necessary equipment to track and arrest these drug traffickers as well as local drug dealers,” Arpaio says. ”This October operation marks the beginning of a far more concerted effort by my office to fight drug traffic and drug abuse.”
The Sheriff has also established a new hotline number – 602.262.3784 – to receive tips from the public relating to illegal drug activity. This hotline and message from the Sheriff will be posted on office vans and transportation vehicles which travel hundreds of miles each week on valley roadways.