Arizona seeks funding for border security projects

Colin Lecher -
June 22, 2010 07:50 PM
The Arizona Republic

Applications for grant money toward U.S.-Mexico border security projects will be sent out this week to law enforcement agencies in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas.

Money received from the grants will go to new law enforcement projects in the border states, with each guaranteed at least $7 million, according to a statement from the Arizona Attorney General's Office.

The projects will be funded by a $94 million settlement that Attorney General Terry Goddard reached this year with Western Union. Of that $94 million, $50 million is being allocated to border enforcement in the Southwest through the Center for State Enforcement of Antitrust and Consumer Protection Laws Inc., a not-for-profit that works on law enforcement projects with state attorneys general.

The grant money will be used to investigate and prosecute money-laundering, human-trafficking, drug-smuggling and arms-trafficking crimes, according to the statement. It will also fund officer training in the U.S. and Mexico.

Each grant application will be evaluated by representatives from the Attorneys General's Offices each. In Arizona, with representatives from the state Department of Public Safety, state Department of Financial Institutions and the Phoenix Police Department also will participate.

Funds will also go toward funding a "border prosecution team" of 10-12 investigators and prosecutors based in Tucson, the statement said.

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