by Matthew Holloway | Jun 5, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Two Arizona teenagers were arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents working in the Tohono O’odham Nation alongside three illegal aliens from Guatemala and one Mexican national in the midst of a human smuggling operation last week.
Border surveillance technology identified a suspect vehicle: a silver 2005 Honda Civic, which had earlier been detected driving southbound on Interstate 19 between Tucson and Nogales. The vehicle was observed driving toward the border and then abruptly reversing course and turning north. Agents at the Three Points Border Patrol Station were alerted to the driver’s unusual behavior at 6 PM Friday according to a statement from Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Agents located the vehicle and noted that it appeared to be “heavily laden,” and performed a vehicle stop. As the vehicle stopped, two male figures in camouflaged clothing were spotted attempting to exit the vehicle when the driver took off, attempting to flee with the trunk open and the two males still inside. The responding agents were quickly engaged in a vehicle chase. The pursuit quickly went off road where it dramatically ended.
“The Honda was driven cross country, off-road, through brush, dirt banks and washes causing significant damage to the vehicle. During the off-road pursuit, agents reported seeing the two men in the trunk nearly ejected from the vehicle. The vehicle came to a stop approximately 100 yards from FR-19. The driver, front passenger, and the two men in the trunk exited the vehicle and fled the area on foot.”
In a post to X, CBP Chief Patrol Agent for the Tucson Sector Sean McGoffin described the encounter, “Three Points Border Patrol Agents were led on a vehicle chase by two reckless teenagers in a Honda Civic. The vehicle chase ended abruptly only after the vehicle was disabled due to the teenagers erratic off-road driving.”
The scene the agents found when approaching the vehicle was harrowing. They observed a three-year-old child with a bloodied nose lying face down on top of a woman identified as his mother in the back of the vehicle. Agents rendered first aid and removed them from the vehicle.
An Air Marine Operations air asset patrolling nearby also responded to the incident and spotted the suspects fleeing on foot. They were able to guide the responding agents to their location where all four were arrested.
McGoffin concluded in his post to X, “The teenagers’ actions nearly cost the lives of everyone in their Honda. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt. The Phoenix teens are now in a world of trouble as they will face federal human smuggling charges for their actions. The illegal aliens will be presented for removal proceedings.”
According to the CBP statement, “Smuggling organizations frequently recruit juvenile and young adult drivers from Phoenix to pick up human and narcotic smuggling loads along the border.” This has been reflected in several reports by AZ Free News over the past few months.
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 5, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
State Representative Gail Griffin (R-LD19) has called for the removal of the Mexican gray wolf from the federal Endangered Species List by 2026, citing growing concerns from rural communities in southeastern Arizona about livestock losses, public safety, and property rights.
Griffin, who chairs the House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee, argues that the federal Mexican wolf reintroduction program has evolved beyond its original conservation goals, becoming what she describes as a “multi-million-dollar anti-ranching industry” that threatens the livelihoods of Arizona ranchers and the customs of rural communities.
“The Mexican wolf is a vicious predator that threatens our rural industries and way of life,” Griffin writes. “Our children cannot safely play outside, our pets are at risk, and our communities live in fear.”
Her remarks come amid a rise in reported wolf-related livestock losses. According to Griffin, 26 such incidents have occurred in 2025 in southeastern Arizona, including the deaths of cattle and horses. She contends that the Mexican gray wolf population, which reached at least 286 in the wild this year, has surpassed sustainable levels and exceeded the original recovery target of 100 wolves set in the 1990s.
Federal wildlife officials have maintained that the species remains endangered and that reintroduction is essential to its long-term survival. The Mexican gray wolf, a subspecies of the gray wolf, was once nearly extinct in the wild. Recovery efforts began in the late 1990s through captive breeding and reintroduction into Arizona and New Mexico.
But Griffin questions the genetic integrity of the species, describing it as hybridized with domestic dogs and coyotes, and claims that its habituation to humans has led to increased conflict. She also argues that the majority of the wolf’s historical habitat lies in Mexico — not the U.S. — and that Arizona should not bear the primary burden of its recovery.
“The Mexican wolf is no longer in need of the protections afforded by the Endangered Species Act,” Griffin writes. “It is time to de-list the Mexican wolf, defund the reintroduction program, and transfer management to state and local control.”
Her op-ed also criticizes the cost of the federal program, which she says has exceeded $220 million to date, with an estimated cost of $500,000 to $1 million per wolf when including ongoing expenses through 2030. Griffin calls for compensation to ranchers not only for direct livestock losses but also for indirect economic harm.
Arizona lawmakers have already passed resolutions urging Congress to delist the wolf, and Griffin is calling on federal legislators to take further action. The issue is likely to remain contentious as stakeholders debate how to balance species recovery with rural economic concerns.
With pressure mounting on both sides, the future of the Mexican gray wolf in Arizona may ultimately hinge on whether state or federal voices prevail in shaping wildlife policy across the American Southwest.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Jun 5, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona State Senator Shawnna Bolick’s recently introduced bill to combat animal cruelty in Arizona was greeted with widespread support from prosecutors and the state’s law enforcement community on Monday.
Letters from Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan, former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller, the Arizona Police Association, and the Arizona Association of Counties, all urging the passage of SB 1658, were received by members of the Arizona House of Representatives. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell also expressed her support in a recent press conference.
In a post to X, Bolick asked supporters to engage House Leadership in support of the bill which is expected to be voted on this week. She wrote, “The most recent disturbing case of animal abuse, where several dogs were left without food, resorting to feeding on the remains of deceased canines on a property in Gila Bend, highlights the significance of this bill. It’s disheartening to see misinformation clouding a straightforward measure that simply aims to do right by our animals.”
“Under current law, vague definitions can limit our ability to hold offenders accountable in animal cruelty cases. SB 1658 would address some of these shortcomings by providing law enforcement with the legal clarity needed to take action in cases where animals are in need of protection,” Sheridan wrote. “This bill represents a vital step forward in combating the growing issue of animal cruelty.”
The proposed bill, if enacted, would expand the legal definition of animal cruelty “to include failing to provide medical attention and broadens the definition of cruel neglect,” establishing this form of animal cruelty as a class 1 misdemeanor. The new law also expands the definition of cruel neglect to include “failure to provide a domestic animal with:
a) food fit for consumption, as appropriate for the species;
b) water suitable for drinking, as appropriate for the species;
c) access to shelter, except for a dog that primarily resides outdoors; and
d) access to shelter that meets specified requirements, for a dog that primarily resides outdoors.”
Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio offered a similar sentiment saying, “As Sheriff of Maricopa County, I saw many egregious animal cruelty cases while fighting crime and working to make our communities safer. We seized a lot of animals during my 24-year tenure as sheriff. I always told my deputies, if they find people breaking laws against animals, there is always room for them in my jails. Let’s not allow people to treat animals in a way that causes them to suffer. Please vote yes on SB 1658 when it comes to the House floor for a vote.”
“Animal abusers are more likely to commit crimes like assault, property offenses, drug offenses, and they do so at higher rates than other defendants,” Mitchell said in a press conference livestreamed to Facebook in February.
Miller added in a statement, “Tougher animal cruelty laws give prosecutors the tools we need to hold offenders accountable and send a clear message: cruelty of any kind has no place in Arizona or in a just society.”
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 AZ Free Enterprise Club | Jun 4, 2025 | Opinion
By the Arizona Free Enterprise Club |
In November 2022, Arizona voters narrowly approved Prop. 308, making Arizona the 24th state in the nation giving taxpayer-subsidized, in-state tuition rates to illegals. Its narrow passage on the ballot was preceded by its razor-thin passage at the state legislature, slipping out because two former Republican legislators, who since lost their seats to primary challengers, rolled their caucus and voted in lock step with Democrats to force it for a vote.
After making the ballot, the measure was bankrolled by a small but well-financed cohort within the political class, business community, and immigration activist organizations funded by George Soros. Even a handful of Republican elected officials and candidates jumped on board, including a few city council members and current candidate for the Republican nomination for Arizona Governor, Karrin Taylor Robson.
It was in part billed by proponents as only applying to “Dreamers,” or recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program established under the Obama administration. In reality, it allowed for anyone here illegally to get in-state tuition rates as long as they spent at least two years in an Arizona high school—signaling to the rest of the world that if you enter here illegally in time to go to an Arizona high school, American taxpayers will subsidize your tuition at our universities.
But they hid from the public one important fact. It unequivocally violates federal law…
>>> CONTINUE READING >>>
by Jonathan Eberle | Jun 4, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed Senate Bill 1300, a Republican-backed measure that would have allowed residents of southeastern Arizona’s San Simon Valley sub-basin to vote on whether to establish an Irrigation Non-expansion Area (INA) — a designation intended to temporarily halt the expansion of agricultural groundwater use.
Supporters of the bill, including Representative Gail Griffin (R-LD19), argued the measure would have empowered local voters in Graham and Cochise counties to take the lead on managing their own groundwater resources in the face of ongoing depletion. The bill passed the Republican-controlled legislature earlier this session.
SB 1300 would have permitted county supervisors to place an INA designation question on the November 2026 ballot. Once that vote was scheduled, a temporary moratorium on new irrigation would have taken effect to prevent last-minute expansion and groundwater pumping ahead of the election. If voters approved the INA, the moratorium would have become permanent.
Griffin called the veto “a missed opportunity,” saying the temporary pause alone would have been a benefit to the aquifer. “Whether voted up or down, either outcome would have resulted in at least a six-month pause on new agricultural expansion,” she said in a statement.
Republican lawmakers have repeatedly pushed back on the AMA designation, arguing that it imposes regulations more appropriate for urban areas like Phoenix and Tucson and fails to account for the economic realities of rural Arizona.
Griffin and other Republicans argue these proposals disregard the will of local communities. “What the Governor wants in rural Arizona is to adopt regulations that are more stringent than urban areas,” Griffin said. “These extreme expectations are simply not achievable for rural Arizona.”
While the Governor’s office has framed her groundwater proposals as necessary responses to decades of overuse and aquifer decline, Republican legislators insist they are advancing more flexible, community-driven solutions. These include efforts to promote stormwater recharge and local decision-making to stabilize groundwater levels without heavy-handed mandates.
No immediate alternative to SB 1300 has been announced, but Republican leaders say they plan to continue engaging with stakeholders on rural water policy. “We stand by our rural communities and the principles of local control, property rights, and strong local economies,” Griffin said.
Water experts and advocacy groups are closely watching the legislative standoff as Arizona grapples with worsening drought conditions, declining aquifers, and in and intensifying debate over how best to balance agriculture, conservation, and rural livelihoods.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
