WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema met with newly-elected Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell and Coconino County Attorney Bill Ring to discuss a host of issues facing Arizona communities, including the threat of fentanyl to public health and safety and the importance of strengthening Arizona’s border security.
“Arizonans know that the federal government’s failure to address the crisis at our Southwest border falls squarely on the shoulders of our communities and hardworking families. I share a deep commitment with the Maricopa and Coconino County Attorneys to ensure public safety by securing our border and cracking down on dangerous and illegal efforts to smuggle drugs, weapons, and people into Arizona,” said Sinema.
Sinema recently succeeded in pushing for the increased utilization of Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) which is proven to increase the number of seizures of narcotics and other contraband that take place at ports of entry across Arizona. In last year’s end of year bills, the Senator also helped secure $230 million for border security technologies, $99.9 million for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities construction and improvements, and $15 billion for CBP operations and support, helping ensure that CBP have the tools they need to help keep dangerous drugs out of Arizona communities.
Last week, Sinema re-introduced her Combating Cartels on Social Media Act – bipartisan legislation cracking down on cartels who recruit Arizona teenagers to act as drivers in their illegal smuggling operations. Sinema’s legislation requires the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to analyze cartels’ illicit usage of social media and establishes a portal for technology companies to report cartel recruitment efforts in the U.S. to DHS and state and local partners, helping keep Arizona families and communities safe.
Sinema Meets with Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell and Coconino County Attorney Bill Ring, Discusses Public Safety & Border Security
