by Matthew Holloway | Jun 20, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Near the Arizona-Mexico border, just inside Mexican territory, a joint operation between U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Tucson Sector and Mexican authorities located and raided a cartel safe-house which stored military-grade machine-guns, ammunition, heavy ordinance, stolen vehicles, and drugs.
In a release to social media on Monday, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael W. Banks described the May 23rd raid in cooperation with Mexican federal officers. Banks wrote in a post, sharing images of the seized weapons and drugs, “USBP agents in Tucson shared intel with the Government of Mexico (GoM) that led to a successful raid south of the border.” He added that the Mexican authorities seized “4 AK-47s, 3 mortar grenades, 3 stolen vehicles, 3,250 rounds of ammo, 62 magazines, 27 tactical vests, [and] 16 sacks of marijuana.”
Banks assessed the raid saying, “This joint effort dealt a serious blow to cartel operations—removing weapons, resources, and mobility from criminal hands.”
Chief Patrol Agent (CPA) of the U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Sector Sean McGoffin commented on the raid as well, crediting the CBP’s Casa Grande International Liaison Unit for contributing to the raid in a statement posted to X. He wrote, “Government of Mexico officials acting on information from the Casa Grande Border Patrol station found and dismantled a cartel ‘Rip Crew’ in Mexico during a mirrored or parallel patrol just south of the border.
“Four rifles, tactical gear, a dodge truck, and ammunition were seized from two criminal operatives. These cartel bandit factions are known to victimize migrants near the border region.
“Historically, the exploitation of migrants by cartels is multi-faceted, by stealing from people that aim to illegally cross into the U.S, or by targeting other competing cartels and their human ‘Cargo’. Great job Casa Grande International Liaison Unit for getting info to our partners in Mexico.”
In a subsequent post to X, McGoffin again praised an International Liaison Unit (ILU), this time from the Sonoita Border Patrol Station, for “forging new alliances to combat organized crime in the #border region.” He explained that two agents from the unit “have fostered relationships with Government of Mexico officials from the Municipality of Santa Cruz, Sonora, Mexico, to increase law enforcement presence south of the border.”
The chief said, “The area south of #Sonoita, Arizona has been exploited by criminal organizations in the past due to its remoteness from other Mexican towns. The newly appointed Mexican officials of the area have pledged to increase patrols and collaboration with Border Patrol to ensure safety and security for the ranching communities on both sides of the border.”
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.
by Matthew Holloway | Jun 20, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Only weeks after refusing to comply with an Executive Order to reactivate the Cholla Power Plant in Northern Arizona, Arizona Public Service (APS) has filed documents with the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) requesting an increase in the state-regulated electrical utility’s revenue of $579.5 million. That equates to a jump in residential electrical rates of approximately 14.5%. The hike would represent a 30% increase in residential rates since 2023.
The utility is also seeking permission from the Commission to unilaterally adjust prices annually using “rate design schedules.” APS justified this request to the ACC in the 2,323-page application docket claiming, “The costs to ensure reliable service to customers have rapidly increased due to high rates of inflation, persistently high interest rates, and continued supply chain and trade policy volatility.”
The utility alleged that a “significant revenue deficiency … based on the 12-month period that ended on December 31, 2024 (Test Year), demonstrates that APS’s current rates do not recover sufficient revenue to ensure reliable service.”
Notably, APS and its parent company, Pinnacle West Capital Corp., did have enough revenue to give Governor Katie Hobbs $250,000 for her inauguration and even bankrolled her legal battle with Kari Lake to the tune of $100,000.
“The tremendous growth across APS’s service territory shows no sign of letting up, with the Company’s infrastructure and reliable energy supply providing the backbone of this historic expansion,” APS said. “And yet, with high rates of inflation, persistently high interest rates, and continued supply chain volatility, the costs to serve current APS customers (let alone prepare for growth) are substantially higher than when the test year concluded in the Company’s last rate case.”
Just one year ago, the ACC approved a rate increase for residential customers of approximately 8 percent. That was followed by significant turnover in the commission with Republican newcomers Rachel Walden and Rene Lopez joining incumbent Lea Márquez Peterson to defeat the Democrat nominees and lock down all five seats for the GOP.
In the upcoming 2026 election, Arizona Reps. David Marshall and Ralph Heap are challenging incumbent commissioners Chairman Kevin Thompson and Vice Chairman Nick Myers. During a Tuesday presser, Marshall and Heap accused the commissioners of excessive price hikes and blocking President Donald Trump’s energy agenda.
“We have some families now who have to make a decision. Do I buy less groceries so I can pay my power bills? Or just deal with it or go without power,” Marshall told reporters.
“The Corporation Commission may not always make the headlines,” he added. “But the decisions made there affect every one of us every single day.”
In a statement responding to the primary challenge from Reps. Marshall and Heap, Commissioners Thompson and Myers defended their record saying, “We’ve taken steps to ensure our utilities are planning responsibly and not chasing costly, agenda-driven energy mandates. That’s why we required APS to prove in its 2023 Integrated Resource Plan that it has enough reliable and dispatchable generation to replace retiring plants. And it’s why we initiated the termination of Kris Mayes’ Renewable Energy Standard, which was an outdated mandate that artificially inflated utility costs by forcing ratepayers to subsidize unreliable, high-cost sources like wind and solar.”
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.
by Jonathan Eberle | Jun 19, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Arizona Senate Republicans introduced a new state budget proposal Monday that aims to deliver a balanced fiscal plan while investing in public safety, education, infrastructure, water, and public health — all without raising taxes.
Senate leaders emphasized that their budget reflects bipartisan priorities and presents a path forward to avoid a looming government shutdown.
“This is a bipartisan budget the Republican majority can fully support and the governor will sign,” said Senate President Warren Petersen. “We are protecting the interests of Arizona by boosting pay for public safety personnel and increasing public safety resources to support safer communities.”
Petersen added that the proposal includes key investments in transportation and infrastructure, with a focus on road projects that support economic growth. The budget also addresses water security and enhancements to Arizona’s public health system.
“The governor has been adamant she will veto the House budget,” said Senate Appropriations Chairman John Kavanagh. “With the possibility of a government shutdown in a matter of days, we must move forward with our conservative spending plan, and we’re calling on our colleagues in both chambers to support it.”
Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope offered a blunt assessment of the House proposal, describing it as a “fantasyland budget.”
“Elections have consequences,” Shope said. “We are in an era of divided government, and we must proceed as such. Republicans can’t get everything they want, and neither can Democrats. We did very well with protecting and funding our Republican priorities.”
Lawmakers face a deadline to approve a spending plan before a potential government shutdown later this week.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Jun 19, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Republican Congressman Abe Hamadeh (AZ-08) has issued a request for a full investigation into credible allegations that election security protocols in Arizona were breached during the 2024 General Election, putting the integrity of the election into question.
In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Congressman Hamadeh requested an investigation to specifically examine the handling of ballots from multiple states throughout the west by Runbeck Election Services.
Hamadeh cited credible reports that large stores of printed blank ballots from several western states were “improperly mixed in a warehouse with returned voted mail ballots that were in the process of being prepared for tabulation.”
He wrote, “This alarming situation raises serious questions about the security and integrity of the election process in Maricopa County and potentially beyond. The comingling of blank ballots with live ballots poses a significant risk to the accuracy and fairness of election results. It is crucial that we have confidence in the integrity of our elections, and any potential mishandling of ballots must be investigated to ensure that the will of the voters is accurately reflected.”
Hamadeh has requested that DOJ investigators determine:
1) The circumstance surrounding the mixing of blank ballots with voted ballots in the Runbeck warehouse.
2) The security measures in place to prevent such incidents and whether they were followed.
3) The potential impact on the accuracy of election results in Maricopa County and any other affected areas.
4) Any other relevant factors that may have comprised the integrity of the 2024 election. The Congressman also pointed to an announcement by FBI Director Kash Patel that the bureau has “turned over documents to Sen. Chuck Grassley involving an intelligence report in which China is alleged to have mass-produced fake U.S. driver’s licenses as part of the CCP’s effort to rig the 2020 election with fake mail-in ballots in favor of President Joe Biden.”
“These include allegations of plants from the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] to manufacture fake driver’s licenses and ship them into the United States for the purpose of facilitating fraudulent mail-in ballots–allegations which, while substantiated, were abruptly recalled and never disclosed to the public,” Patel revealed. “In accordance with Chairman Grassley’s request for documents, I have immediately declassified the material and turned the document over to the Chairman for further review.”
In a statement following his request for an investigation, Hamadeh said, “We have known for years that our election processes in Arizona are flawed and ripe with opportunities for nefarious forces. There appears to be a clear pattern and practice of security breakdowns, system failures, and outright manipulation that must be investigated and remedied.”
He concluded, “Now is the time for our Department of Justice to investigate credible allegations and offer sound recommendations to ensure that the integrity of our elections is restored in full.”
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.
by Shanxi Omoniyi | Jun 18, 2025 | Education, News
By Shanxi Omoniyi (The Lion) |
What do NBA players Blake Griffin and Allonzo Trier have in common with Allison Miller, a junior basketball player at The Master’s University in Santa Clarita, California?
All were previous homeschoolers who participated in the National Christian Homeschool Basketball Championships (NCHBC), according to Arizona State University’s Cronkite News.
“The prospect of even entering such an event – in which (East Valley Athletes for Christ, or EVAC) first appeared with boys basketball in 2021 – was as foreign as homeschooling back when EVAC was established in 2003,” writes Payne Moses.
The Arizona association of Christian homeschool families started with just one boys high school basketball team. Today it has maxed out capacity with 291 students across 37 teams, according to the article.
“EVAC actually has greater and better and more customized extracurricular athletic experiences … because it’s parent-led,” said EVAC communications director Grant Botma. “There’s not bureaucracy or red tape for what is part of a public school.
“If the parent has an idea, and it fits within the mission, vision and core values of EVAC, parents step up and do it and we support it. And that’s a really big thing because that creates, again, athletic experiences that would not have been had anywhere else.”
‘Relationships in the community’
Demand for EVAC’s services have skyrocketed in recent years, with some families coming from as far away as Anthem, Maricopa and the West Valley to enroll, Moses notes.
“Now at an enrollment near 300 students, EVAC is officially maxing out its capacity. An influx in volunteers would be the only way it can sustainably expand.”
Miller, who won back-to-back state titles in the Canyon Athletic Association’s second division, credited her homeschool experience with helping her prepare for the NCHBC.
“The difference in how people play basketball around the country is really interesting. … There’s just a different feel at that tournament,” she said. “I think it just opened up another gear of competitiveness within EVAC and (was) something else to work towards because some of the years in EVAC my teams were pretty dominant.”
The association’s success stems from its emphasis on flexibility and parent-directed learning, said Tracy Miller, Allison’s mother and EVAC administrative assistant.
“It was worth it for us to stay in something that was maybe less competitive because of the relationships in the community,” she said. “It’s kind of twofold that way, and I think it drives the mission of our organization, (which) is community, our dedication to Christ and then competition.”
Meanwhile, Allison continues to excel in college basketball. She has even influenced Fonda Wilson, coach of The Master’s University women’s basketball team, to start recruiting other homeschool athletes.
“(Miller) has been informing me about (homeschool athletes) all year, and that’s really where my heart wants to be, is to look in that portal because the Lord’s going to glorify that,” Wilson said. “He’s going to be so faithful. I’m just looking for his kids.”
Originally published by The Lion.
Shanxi Omoniyi is a staff writer for The Lion. She also serves as Online Content Director at Midwest Parent Educators (MPE), a nonprofit organization serving thousands of homeschool families not only in the KC metropolitan area of Kansas and Missouri, but also in neighboring states such as Arkansas, Iowa, Oklahoma and Nebraska.
