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Arizona slated to add hundreds of new Border Patrol agents


Associated Press
Dec. 6, 2005 04:45 PM

TUCSON - Among the 1,700 new U.S. Border Patrol agents being added along the Mexican border, Arizona will get more than 640 new agents, the agency said Tuesday.

Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar said the number of agents in the Tucson sector will increase from 2,339 to 2,779 by the end of the next fiscal year ending Sept. 30. The Yuma sector's total agents will jump from 554 to 757.

For several years, the Tucson sector - one of the two in Arizona - has been the nation's busiest in the number of illegal immigrants crossing the border.

Aguilar said the 1,700 new agents will boost the agency's total from 11,268 as of two months ago to almost 13,000, some of whom will still be in training.

In addition, the Tucson sector will receive $35 million for added infrastructure, including vehicle barriers in the Ajo and Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation areas; improving roadways there and around Naco and Douglas; added stadium-type lighting on either side of Naco and Douglas, and additional heavy steel fencing in the Douglas and Naco areas.

Another $35 million has been allocated for work on completing another five miles of a 14-mile San Diego border fence - the bulk of the remaining project, though more still will be needed, Aguilar said.

The money for the new hirings comes from allocations in the fiscal 2006 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security and from the fiscal 2005 Iraq war supplemental appropriations bill, Aguilar said in a teleconference and Sen. Jon Kyl's office announced in a news release.

California will receive 352 new agents, Texas 452 and New Mexico 253, Aguilar said.