PCSO's Border crime unit battles cartels daily
Posted: Dec 16, 2010 10:34 PM CST
Updated: Dec 16, 2010 10:45 PM CST

Reporter: Sergio Avila

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Sheriff Clarence Dupnik isn't as vocal as other sheriffs about what his elite deputies are doing to fight border crime. Although he's quick to point out their success.

"Our department arrests about 200 immigrants per month. Which I think is higher then any other county in our state," Dupnik said.

The sheriff tells KGUN 9 his border crime unit has been battling smugglers now for almost four years. The 18 man unit usually works under the cover of darkness. Riding with them as they drive along dirt roads without headlights or brake lights is an experience. On this night they patrolled the vast desert and rugged terrain of Avra Valley.

Sergeant Bob Kryger heads up one of the border crime unit's squads. Kryger tells KGUN 9 when hunting smugglers their night vision tools are essential. Lights of any kind are rarely used. Even while they're driving.

"Even with your brake lights and your headlights you're going to be seen in an instant," Kryger said.

Seen by scouts who sit on top of mountain tops watching out for law enforcement.

"They have their scouts out there watching us. We kind of do the same thing. We put bodies out there watching them and then we communicate among the group," Kryger said.

So far this year the sheriff's border crime unit has nabbed thousands of pounds of drugs and robbed the cartels of more than one million dollars.

Since other sheriffs have been so vocal about their success and efforts to stop border crime 9OYS wanted to know why Dupnik chooses to avoid the spotlight.

"Well my job is law enforcement. I think we have a tremendous amount of support from the people in Pima County now. I consider the Pima County Sheriff's Department to be one of the finest agencies around," Dupnik said. "We have tremendous support from the Pima County board of supervisors so there's no need for the sheriff to go around with a bull horn for whatever purpose that might serve."

Dupnik believes his silence shouldn't be mistaken for inaction. On the contrary, he sees it as strategy.

"I think sometimes when you're too vocal and put out too much information you're actually assisting the smugglers. The more they know about how your trying to counteract what they're doing, the easier it is for them to do their job," Dupnik said.

http://www.kgun9.com/global/story.asp?s=13689335