Posted: Feb 05, 2014 10:35 AM PST Updated: Feb 05, 2014 10:35 AM PST
By Tucson News Now Staff

TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) -

The U.S. Border Patrol, Tucson Sector has released its stats for fiscal year 2013.

In the past year BP agents made 120,939 arrests, a relatively small number when compared to fiscal year 2000 when more than 616,000 people were arrested. Of those numbers many were aggravated felons and more than 19,000 were from countries other than Mexico.

More than 1.1 million pounds of marijuana were seized, an increase of 120,000 pounds when compared to 2012. Six illegal tunnels were also found and remediated by BP agents. All of this was in addition to adding a new forward operating base, which enabled agents to operate more effectively in remote desert areas.

According to the BP release 2013 was not all arrests, but humanitarian efforts as well. BP agents conducted 800 rescues, this number was up compared to the 623 in 2012; though deaths were up as well - 194 compared to 180 in 2012.

http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/2...scal-year-2013