The verdict is in on Governor Katie Hobbs’ “Operation Desert Guardian” from Arizona’s Border Sheriffs, and it isn’t good for the Democrat governor.
As the governor faces dwindling popularity poll numbers, fellow Democrat Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos bailed on a lengthy online conference about Hobbs’ border task force, saying “I don’t need another task force.” Noting his membership in four other collaborative efforts combating drugs and human trafficking, he noted, “I’m sorry, I just don’t. And so, I’m out.”
Nanos said his department will not be participating in a devastating blow to the governor’s initiative, given that Pima County covers approximately 31.6% or nearly a third of Arizona’s border with Mexico. The move also has serious political implications. Nanos was one of Hobbs’ biggest supporters during her campaign, even going so far as to cut a campaign ad for her.
Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot, a Republican, offered similar pushback saying, “Let’s not waste state tax payer money on building something that doesn’t need to be rebuilt.”
Both sheriffs were reportedly taken aback by Hobbs’ surprise Executive Order and offered serious criticism of her and the goals of the operation. They told reporters that the work the task force is set to tackle is already being done and would be duplicative, not an added benefit.
“The state is not going to come in to rescue us and be the savior of what we’ve been dealing with,” Wilmot said, noting that the border Sheriffs’ departments offer a wealth of ground-level experience. “They need to come in and be a partner.”
According to a follow up report from AZCentral, Yuma County will participate after a meeting with Hobbs earlier this week.
Speaking with KGUN, Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels had his own doubts, “My budgets are already fulfilled. They’re maximized. And so if there are expectations that my office will be doing something without the budget, chances are we won’t do it… I can’t do it.”
Dannels asked, “What’s the cost to my agency? What’s it going to mean for resources? What are they going to take care of that I don’t already have?” He expressed that he wasn’t made aware of the task force, and though he has hopes it could complement his department’s actions, he said, “I don’t know. I have not seen an operational plan.”
Republican Governor’s Association Rapid Response Director Kollin Crompton suggested Hobbs’ political motives in a statement to AZ Free News saying, “Katie Hobbs’ desperate attempt to cover up her open border policies won’t work, and border county sheriffs of both parties know she’s a disaster. Arizonans want a secure border and safe communities, that’s not possible as long as Katie Hobbs is governor.”
The Fountain Hills Town Council voted to adopt a resolution banning all DEI on Tuesday. Councilman Allen Skillicorn, who introduced the measure, noted that the policy was authored with the assistance of the Goldwater Institute.
“I talk a lot about how Fountain Hills is open for business,” Skillicorn said. “Tonight, I get to join Amazon, Disney, Ford, Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s, McDonald’s, Molson Coors, Pepsi, and Toyota in rejecting divisive DEI policies. In the public sector, the Supreme Court ruled that most forms of affirmative action were unconstitutional in 2023. Our town joins the Federal Government, Department of Education, and many states banning divisive DEI.”
Skillicorn noted, “Included in the language is also a ban against using invented gender identity pronouns in town email signatures.”
The measure was debated in an explosive 45-minute segment of the town council meeting which saw frequent sparring between Councilwomen Peggy McMahon and Brenda Kalivianakis, and Councilman Skillicorn as well as Vice Mayor Hannah Toth.
Kalivianakis, speaking on the resolution, accused the Councilman Skillicorn of “mischief,” saying, “I’m reticent to because ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.’ I could use those same adages, ‘problem solution seeking a problem,’ but I do see mischief in this too and and maybe for the sponsor of the bill.”
Responding to concerns that the resolution could preclude the town from membership in various civic organizations, Skillicorn clarified, “If those organizations that we belong to are in violation of and have active divisive Dei policies, it appears that yes, our town does have a problem with divisive DEI policies.”
Councilmembers Gayle Earle, Rick Watts, and Allen Skillicorn voted in favor of the ban along with Vice Mayor Hannah Toth and Mayor Gerry Friedel. Councilwoman Peggy McMahon voted against and Councilwoman Brenda Kalivianakis abstained.
Watch the Town Council Meeting Section on the DEI Policy:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents hunted down and successfully apprehended three suspected Mexican drug cartel scouts and one foot guide in southern Arizona after a harrowing chase across the lands of the Tohono O’odham Nation. Authorities have associated the suspects with the Cártel de Sinaloa, a foreign terrorist organization, .
CBP revealed that the first in the series of arrests took place Monday near the town of Maricopa, Arizona. That’s when agents attached to the Casa Grande Border Patrol Station encountered and apprehended an illegal immigrant from Mexico who confessed to crossing into the country illegally. A search of the man revealed equipment for communication and observation, commonly used by cartel scouts, in his possession.
The next day, CBP agents northwest of Marana in the Silverbell Mountains spotted and arrested an illegal immigrant from Mexico and another from Guatemala following up on reports of suspicious activity in the remote high elevation area frequented by drug and human traffickers. A search of the men also yielded communication and surveillance devices equipped with solar panels and batteries.
Near Pisinemo Village, on the Tohono O’odham Nation later on Tuesday, CBP agents arrested two Mexican nationals, with one of them confessing to be a foot guide for Los Memos, a group associated with Cártel de Sinaloa.
According to CBP, “All subjects were transported to the Casa Grande Border Patrol Station for further processing. In addition to being charged with illegal entry into the country, three of the five men will face criminal charges for human smuggling and conspiracy due to their involvement in smuggling activities.”
In a post to X, Cheif Patrol Agent Sean McGoffin shared footage of Casa Grande motorcycle units and a Blackhawk helicopter working together to execute the arrest. He wrote, “AZ DPS reported 5 subjects crossing SR86 on the Tohono O’odham Nation. Casa Grande motorcycle units and a Blackhawk made quick work of the sighting, arresting 5 Mexican illegal aliens. 3 are being prosecuted for Re-Entry After Removal and 2 were Expeditiously Removed.”
AZ DPS reported 5 subjects crossing SR86 on the Tohono O’odham Nation. Casa Grande motorcycle units and a Blackhawk made quick work of the sighting, arresting 5 Mexican illegal aliens. 3 are being prosecuted for Re-Entry After Removal and 2 were Expeditiously Removed. pic.twitter.com/hBuBfMEEtp
Arizona Congressman Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ8) issued a statement following the announcement by President Donald Trump of a pivotal deal with TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.) to bring $100 billion in investment for chip manufacturing plants in the U.S. over the next four years.
“Earlier this month, my team met with representatives of TSMC to discuss their plans for future jobs in Arizona, which should focus on tapping into our veteran workforce,” Hamadeh said in the statement. “They are clearly committed to President Trump’s American First Manufacturing agenda, bringing high-paying employment opportunities to CD8 allowing US leaders to increase the quality of life for our residents.”
TSMC established itself during the Biden Administration through the controversial 2020 CHIPS Act. It was at the center of a lawsuit in November due to its hiring practices allegedly favoring Taiwanese nationals as previously reported by AZ Free News. Their current Arizona facility is located within Hamadeh’s congressional district.
In December, the development of TSMC’s Phoenix facility was placed at risk by an unfavorable nonattainment status of ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) by the EPA under Biden, leading then-Congresswoman Debbie Lesko, Hamadeh’s predecessor to intervene.
In December 2022, TSMC announced a commitment to build a second fabrication facility (fab) in addition to its North Phoenix facility, increasing its total investment to $40 billion.
As detailed by President Trump in a press conference on Monday, the new investment is set to bring Arizona’s total number of TSMC facilities to five, with thousands of new jobs.
President Trump told reporters, “This $100 billion in new investment will go into building five cutting-edge fabrication facilities in the great state that we just discussed, Arizona, and will create thousands of jobs — many thousands of jobs, and they’re high-paying jobs. In total, today’s announcement brings Taiwan Semiconductor investments to about $165 billion — they’ve started already — among the largest new foreign direct investments in the United States.”
The President added, “Taiwan pretty much has a monopoly on that market. And I think ‘pretty much’ is not a term that’s even appropriate. They do have a monopoly. And this is a tremendous move by the most powerful company in the world. It’s a matter of economic security. It’s also a matter of national security for us.”
TSMC expansion is expected to create approximately 80,000 jobs over the next 5 years.
The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) is urging caution from the public in the use of Crypto ATMs with a warning that they are being utilized to facilitate cryptocurrency scams in a bigger way “than ever before.” Reporting from the FBI has indicated losses to consumers in Arizona of over $325 million.
According to a press release by the ACC Securities Division, national data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has shown American consumers reporting losses in excess of $110 million through scams linked to cryptocurrency ATMs documented in 2023, a drastic escalation at ten-times the 2020 figure.
As explained by the ACC, Crypto ATMs, kiosks that allow users to purchase cryptocurrencies using a credit or debit card, have become more ubiquitous and are visually similar to traditional ATMs. They are often located at gas stations, convenience stores, malls, and other places where an ATM would typically be present. However, unlike a typical ATM, these kiosks convert dollars to cryptocurrency held in an electronic wallet… for a fee.
Portal scamming, an already common issue at ATMs, fuel pumps, and cash registers poses an added danger with the advent of Crypto ATMs as the ACC explains:
“The scams typically start through online chats, social media, emails, texts, pop-up messages and phone calls from strangers. The lies told by scammers vary, but they create some urgent justification for consumers to take cash out of their bank accounts and put it into a crypto ATM.
“Often, the scammers fabricate an investment that promises great returns with limited risk. When consumers put their money into the crypto ATM, the ATM converts the money to cryptocurrency. The consumer types in the scammer’s electronic wallet address, or the consumer is given a QR code to scan which points to the scammer’s electronic wallet address. The ATM then transfers the crypto to the scammer’s electronic wallet. Once in their control the scammers quickly move the crypto making it very difficult to trace and recover.”
The commission offered a series of proactive recommendations to consumers to avoid becoming a victim to scam artists employing these tactics:
Never click on links or respond directly to unexpected calls, messages, or computer pop-ups. If you think it could be legitimate, contact the company or agency, but look up their number or website yourself. Don’t use the phone number the caller or message gave you.
Slow down. Scammers want to rush you, so stop and check it out. Before you do anything else, talk with someone you trust.
Never withdraw cash in response to an unexpected call or message. Only scammers will tell you to do that.
Don’t believe anyone who says you need to use a crypto ATM to protect your money or to fix a problem or to get in a great investment. Real businesses and government agencies will never do that—and anyone who asks is a scammer.
One victim identified as Tamara Glerum by AZFamily, reportedly lost $28,000 to a scammer, with the FBI stating that Arizonans overall lost about $325 million in reported Crypto ATM fraud.
As reported by ABC15, a Peoria woman reportedly lost $17,000 to such as scam, and AZ State Rep. David Marshall has introduced House Bill 2387 to crack down on Crypto ATM fraud by imposing a $1,000 daily transaction limit on the devices, requiring state operator licensing and refund policy options as well.
