Partnerships help in battle on drug traffic
By Dana Cole

Published/Last Modified on Saturday, Sep 19, 2009 - 03:16:35 am MST

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When it comes to the country’s border security issues, Arizona faces tough challenges. Arizona’s porous border with Mexico has created a security crisis for our state, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords said.

On Friday, Giffords hosted a multi-agency briefing that featured Adm. Thad Allen, the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard and head of the Drug Interdiction Committee, before they visited Bowie schoolkids on a more social note.

The briefing was held at the University of Arizona National Center for Border Security and Immigration in Tucson and included representatives from all levels of law enforcement.

Organized as a follow-up to a border violence summit Giffords convened in April, the meeting was intended to promote collaboration and communication across federal, state and county agencies.


“At that summit, more than 60 participants came together to discuss how we could improve coordination and the effectiveness of our work to combat the drug cartels,â€