Yuma County Sheriff Wilmot speaks on border crisis
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Arizona House of Representatives hosted a special joint legislative session to receive a border crisis update at the Arizona State Capitol.
Yuma County Sheriff Wilmot was one of the speakers, who detailed how we are dealing with the border crisis in our area.
Sheriff Wilmot and Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels briefed state legislators.
Sharing the struggles their departments have faced and also thanking legislators for their continued support and resources.
Highlighting the ongoing obstacles he faces to keep our border secure.
When asked if the border wall should be completed, Sheriff Wilmot answered, “Yes, finishing the fence will help, it’s hard infrastructure, it was already there, they just didn’t finish it, so I think in Yuma, there’s only seven miles left to get done."
Wilmot also said we need to start hammering the cartels and their finances.
He already hired one deputy to do just that.
“There are ways that we can look at different scenarios, where he’s already identified, just in Yuma County, over $13 million being funneled from Yuma into Mexico,” said Wilmot.
He also touched on the shipping containers placed to fill the gaps along the border.
“We, as a community, asked for containers to be put down there, to stop individuals from going into the farm fields. No matter what anybody says and they can spin it any way they want, it helped our farmers by putting those there to stop the flow,” said Wilmot.
Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels said border crimes are hitting them hard financially.
“The cost of my jail, just for border-related incarcerations in 24 months, is $9.4 million,” said Sheriff Mark Dannels.
Dannels expressed his thanks to the state for making it possible to bus migrants out of their county.
“Since post Title 42 in May of 2023, till the end of December, we’ve had 650 busses come to Cochise County to process migrants out of Cochise County,” said Dannels.
Yuma County agents help process some of those migrants showing the solidarity among law enforcement in this ongoing border crisis.
The special joint session was requested by Representative Tim Dunn of Yuma.
