Thread: AZ: After 9-11 our border more secure?

After 9-11 our border more secure?

Posted: Sep 13, 2008 06:24 PM PDT


The U.S. Mexico border in southern Arizona is more secure now that it was seven years ago, an agency spokesman said on the anniversary of 9/11.

Agent Mario Escalante said in 2000 agents experienced peak arrests with more than 600,000 apprehensions. Seven years later that number has dropped to approximately 350,000. However the number of deaths in the desert has increased. In fiscal year 2001 the agency recorded 65 deaths; in 2008 the number jumped to 154. Escalante said as agents increase border security smugglers take illegal immigrants into more remote areas of the desert. He also said the number of drug seizures had increased. In 2000 agents seized 240,000 pounds of marijuana; this fiscal year that number has reached 800,000 pounds.

The area of coverage for Tucson Sector agents covers some 90,000 square miles and 262 linear miles of the border. There are more than 3200 agents in the sector.

According to Escalante in the last seven years the agency has added 644 miles of improved roadways, 76.9 miles of new roadways, 353 miles of high intensity lighting, 57 miles of pedestrian barriers and 56 miles of vehicle barriers. He also gave credit to Operation Jump Start, a two year installation of the military on the border.

www.kvoa.com

Oh yea ok. Who ever wanted to get in is here already. McCains state, what a comforting thought.