By Matthew Holloway |
Last week, Governor Katie Hobbs announced her signing of Executive Order 2025-01 to direct the creation of Operation Desert Guardian, a joint task force of the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and the Arizona Department of Homeland Security. The response from the GOP-led legislature showed frustration with the Governor’s move.
According to the Governor’s Office, the order is an effort to “expand border security operations in Arizona’s four border counties.” It also indicated that the operation will seek partnership with “local law enforcement, sheriffs, and the federal government to disrupt Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) operations within Yuma, Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise counties.”
Hobbs said in a statement, “I’m proud to launch Operation Desert Guardian to combat the cartels, stop drug smuggling and human trafficking, and secure Arizona’s border.”
“My administration has been in contact with the federal government and local sheriffs about the Operation, its critical objectives, and our shared commitment to keeping criminals and drugs out of Arizona’s communities. I have worked productively with the federal government on Task Force SAFE and partnered with local law enforcement to deliver critical border security support, and I look forward to continued partnership on our shared border security priorities. With Operation Desert Guardian, I’m confident we can take an important next step in our ongoing work to secure the border.” According to the Governor’s Office, the objectives of the order include:
- Identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities along our 370-mile southern border, and
- Combating border-related crimes perpetrated by TCOs by dismantling their supply chains and operating networks.
Arizona House Speaker Steve Montenegro reflected great skepticism of Hobbs’ sincerity and the lateness of her apparent concern for the border. In a statement to AZ Free News, Montenegro said:
“Too little, too late. For years, Governor Hobbs has refused to take meaningful action while Arizonans have paid the price. The border crisis has spiraled out of control under her watch, forcing the legislature to step up where she has failed. Republicans led the charge to pass critical fentanyl crime legislation and put a measure before voters—who overwhelmingly supported making it a state crime to cross the border illegally.
Montenegro added, “Now, with the crisis at a breaking point, the Governor is scrambling to look tough on border security. While I hope this effort delivers real results, it’s clear who has been leading on this issue all along—and it’s not Katie Hobbs.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
