C.B.P. News Release

Yuma-Area Border Patrol Enforcement Initiatives Lead to Successes

Illegal Activity in the Yuma Sector Has Decreased

October 22, 2008

Yuma, Ariz. – The Yuma Sector’s various enforcement measures has lead to unprecedented successes in decreasing illegal cross-border activity.

As a result of the decreases in arrests, the Yuma Sector has also experienced a substantial reduction in rescue situations and death incidents. This is correlated to the Yuma Sector’s successful deterrence of illegal entries into the United States.

Arrests - 8,363 arrests in fiscal year 2008 compared to 37,992 arrests in fiscal year 2007, a 78 percent decrease
Rescues - 21 rescues in FY08 compared to 77 rescues in FY07, a 72 percent decrease
Deaths - 5 deaths in FY08 compared to 11 deaths in FY07, a 55 percent decrease

The dramatic reduction in activity can be attributed to increases in personnel, detection technology, and border infrastructure that prevent and deter illegal incidents from occurring. The Yuma Sector presently has a total of 94 miles of fencing – a 797 percent increase since FY05 - including primary, secondary, tertiary, and anti-vehicular fencing. Fencing spans from the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreational Area to remote sections of the border near the Yuma/Pima County line, west of Ajo, Ariz.

With the addition of more Border Patrol agents in the Yuma Sector, the Intelligence Unit has been able to strengthen itself by adding more enforcement personnel into the department. The Border Patrol’s mission of securing the U.S. border from terrorists and terrorist threats was taken to heart and a Border Intelligence Center was implemented to deliver real time tactical and actionable intelligence to station commanders.

The Yuma Sector has a solid partnership with state, local, tribal, and other federal law enforcement agencies. Four hundred and fifty acres of brush along the Colorado River, which had posed a serious officer safety risk to members of both departments was cleared through a partnership effort with the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office. Collaboration has lead to participation in a number of initiatives such as Operation Stonegarden, Operation Blade Runner, and Operation Citation. Theses operations were designed to reduce cross-border crime and brought an improved quality of life to the community.

These continual efforts to accomplish the mission set before us do not always come without sacrifices. On January 19, we lost a hero, Border Patrol Agent Luis Aguilar, while he was deploying a Controlled Tire Deflation Device to stop a suspected narcotics smuggler. He made the ultimate sacrifice defending our way of life and he will not be forgotten. On October 11, United Desert Gateway and Bureau of Land Management held a ceremony that included the dedication of the road which is the entrance to the Imperial County San Dunes in his honor. The road is now named “Luis A. Aguilar Roadâ€