Six-day multi task force operation results in seizure of 5,433 pounds marijuana

60 arrested - cash, firearms, stolen vehicles seized

 Press release from the Pinal County Sheriff's Office:

The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Team attached with U.S. Border Patrol’s "BORTAC Team 5" has completed another operation to deny, degrade, disrupt and dismantle drug and human trafficking operations in Pinal County. The latest detail ran from May 11 to May 20.
Participating in the detail were law enforcement members from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Yuma County Sheriff’s Office, Arizona Department of Public Safety, U.S. Border Patrol Tucson and Yuma Sectors, Bureau of Land Management, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations, CBP Office of Air and Marine, Tohono O’odham Police Department, Gila River Police Department, Eloy Police Department, U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Arizona and the Arizona National Guard.
During the six day operation agencies combined arrested 60 suspects, the seizure of 5,433 pounds of marijuana, $115,630 in cash, and 4 firearms. In addition, 5 stolen vehicles were recovered, 7 suspects were prosecuted federally and 38 suspects were prosecuted at the state level. The operation was focused in the Vekol Valley area.
Sheriff Paul Babeu stated, "These multi agency details have a much greater impact than just in Pinal County. Pinal County is the number one pass through county in America for drug and human trafficking because of the roadways and terrain. The cartels of Mexico have between 75 to 100 lookout posts through this known drug and human smuggling corridor. They use these high vantage points to ensure their loads, whether they are humans or drugs, make it through. Some of these loads stop in Phoenix but many of them are sent throughout the United States. I appreciate the assistance provided by all of these law enforcement agencies to disrupt the cartels activities. We need this continuous law enforcement presence to help protect America until the border is truly secured."