Operation Desert Guardian Makes Over 600 Arrests, Seizes Over 900 Pounds of Drugs

State counter-drug smuggling operations in total seized over $77 million in drugs, 988 illegal weapons since March

Sierra Vista, AZ - Today, Governor Hobbs announced significant progress in Arizona's border safety efforts with an update on Operation Desert Guardian. The Operation is a coordinated effort between local, county, state and federal law enforcement leveraging shared resources and intelligence to combat cartel operations throughout the state.

Since operations began in March, Operation Desert Guardian has seized over 971 pounds of drugs, resulted in 622 arrests, and apprehended 10 fugitives.

"Operation Desert Guardian is what's possible when we put politics aside and work hand-in-hand with sheriffs and federal law enforcement to take on the cartels and secure our border," said Governor Katie Hobbs. "I'm proud to report how this statewide, intelligence-driven operation is turning our vision into action."

"Thank you to Governor Hobbs for her efforts and leadership to help us coordinate this effort," said Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels. "This is all about quality of life. This is all about public safety and investing in our communities and our state as a whole. Set politics aside for a few minutes, many people can't, but we did that, and we did that for the right reasons and that is to make sure our kiddos, our future, our families, and those that live and breathe in our state and call this home can say it's a safe place and a great place to call home. If you do crime here there is a consequence for doing it. Arizona is a true state that believes in the rule of law."

"I want to thank the Governor for the support that we've received and for coming down here to show that she believes in partnership with local law enforcement," said Cochise County Attorney Lori Zucco. "During the height of 2023 when our office aggressively prosecuted failure to yield and human smuggling cases, we prosecuted 406 cases. This was a huge influx of volume into our office. We would not have been able to do that without the assistance we received from DEMA. I am happy to report that so far this year we have only prosecuted and had referrals for 31 failure to yield and human smuggling cases, that is a drastic decline."

Operation Desert Guardian is Arizona's first statewide unified command designed to disrupt cartels, dismantle criminal networks, and keep communities safe. The initiative relies on intelligence-sharing and collaboration among state, county, local, and federal law enforcement agencies. Governor Hobbs began the unified command with an Executive Order in February.

The Operation coordinates closely with Task Force (TF) SAFE, Arizona's National Guard deployment at Ports of Entry along the southern border. Since March, the combined efforts of Desert Guardian and TF SAFE have taken drugs with a street value of over $77 million off the streets and seized 988 illegal weapons.

Learn more about Operation Desert Guardian and the state's counterdrug efforts