Border Watch: How's Sheriff Estrada battling smugglers?
Posted: Mar 08, 2011 5:23 PM CST Updated: Mar 08, 2011 7:30 PM CST

When drugs are seized in Santa Cruz County by local law enforcement it will usually end up in at the sheriff's department. The drugs are piled up in a shed that's packed from floor to ceiling with tens of thousands of pounds of drugs. Estrada is quick to say the border is more secure now than it's ever been. The amount of drugs in the bin could be proof that it is.

"In my 43 years I've had in law enforcement here in Santa Cruz County, there has never been more resources. There has never been more cooperation, more partnership more exchange of information that we've had here," Estrada said.

In 2010 those resources led to Estrada's deputies seizing nearly 26,000 pounds of pot, 32 pounds of cocaine, 18 pounds of heroin, and $56,000 in cash. One of Estrada's Lieutenants is also commander of the Santa Cruz County Metro Task Force. That's a group of officers from a variety of state and federal agencies who investigate border crimes.

Estrada admits other sheriffs take a different approach to combat smuggling. In Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu takes on the smugglers head on. 9OYS asked Estrada why we don't see that being done by his office.

"I don't have the budget. I don't have the manpower that he may have. I have other issues to deal with with the people who reside and come through Santa Cruz County," Estrada said.

Estrada tells KGUN9 News he feels border security is more a responsibility for the federal government with his office being a critical partner. So how does Santa Cruz County's head law man respond to critics who say the border isn't secure?

"I think they need to understand that we're not dodging bullets the way some of those rhetorics are, that these things are out of control, that things are happening that we can't do anything about. I don't think that's the reality," Estrada said. "The reality of it is that it's an active border we'll have these things happening. I don't care where you put this border. If you put this border in Pinal County, if you put this border in Maricopa County you're going to have the same issues."

Estrada tells us smuggling activity in Santa Cruz County has slowed down since the shooting of border patrol agent Brian Terry. Estrada feels the smugglers haven't stopped but just switched their route.

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