MC sheriff learns about human smuggling, border issues in 'epic' visit to southern Arizona
MARTIN COUNTY — In a trip last week to a southern border county in Arizona, Sheriff William Snyder said he learned a number of things, including that the sheriff’s office there lacks the personnel to address illegal border crossings.
Snyder, along with Capt. Ruben Romero and Lt. Gavin Werner, traveled last week to Cochise County, Arizona. Snyder has said he accepted an invitation from Mark Dannels, sheriff of Cochise County, to visit and get “a detailed briefing on the implications of our open border.”
During a Feb. 1 media address to discuss the then upcoming trip, Snyder cited significant local drug arrests and seizures and issues related to undocumented individuals. He said he wanted to get an idea of “how they're dealing with societal disruptions.”
Snyder, who said he returned Friday, shared some observations in an interview this week, as well as things he said could help in Martin County.
“If I had to describe the trip in one word, I would say it was epic,” Snyder said. “We really, really did learn a lot about the human smuggling phenomenon that is so pervasive on the border.”
He said he learned, in general, that those crossing the Mexican border in Texas come from countries that can claim asylum and “are looking to turn themselves in.”
Those crossing in Arizona, however, are “100 percent” trying not to be apprehended, Snyder said.
“They are either criminals who are not eligible for asylum, or they are from countries that are not eligible for asylum,” he said. “Nobody surrenders to law enforcement in Arizona. That's just not what's going on there.”
Snyder said the local sheriff’s office in Arizona doesn’t have enough personnel.
“We did see Border Patrol assets, but it did not seem like it was heavily patrolled,” Snyder said. “I found it really rather startling, how easy it is to climb over the border fence.”
Snyder said his agency has connections now with border law enforcement officials affording more resources.
“We have a direct contact now with some very sophisticated data systems, data banks in Arizona,” Snyder said. “This additional information that we can get now, because of our familiarity with law enforcement out there, could be very instrumental in a complex case.”
Snyder said his trip was paid for through an “excess campaign account.”
“After you run for office, the state allows you to keep $10,000 and it can be used for educational purposes, travel related to your job duties,” he said. “That's what I paid for mine with.”
Sheriff’s Office training money, he said, paid for the trips of Romero and Werner.
Snyder said almost no drugs come across the border through Arizona. Drugs, he said, often are brought in through tunnels.
He said local law enforcement there handles people picking up undocumented individuals in the desert and then driving them to an airport.
“That is the crime that they're dealing with -- human smuggling,” Snyder said.
The federal government, he said, must have “a full blown commitment.”
He said Cochise County deputies also have the typical law enforcement issues to manage, such as domestics, thefts and car crashes.
“It's not a local problem, it's a federal government problem,” Snyder said.
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Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: MC sheriff learns of human smuggling, border issues in Arizona trip
