by Matthew Holloway | May 27, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ06) is leading a bipartisan effort to accelerate modernization of the Dennis DeConcini Land Port of Entry in Nogales, urging federal officials to advance improvements at one of the busiest crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Ciscomani joined Reps. Greg Stanton (D-AZ04) and Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ08) in sending a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and General Services Administration (GSA) calling for swift action to modernize the port, which lawmakers described as critical to both trade and border security.
The lawmakers wrote that the DeConcini Land Port of Entry plays a major role in commerce between Arizona and Mexico and requires modernization to address operational challenges and infrastructure concerns.
“The DeConcini Port of Entry is at the heart of U.S.-Mexico trade, moving everything from medical supplies to agricultural products that directly impact Arizona businesses and daily life,” Ciscomani said. “Modernizing this port is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to upgrade infrastructure, enhance lawful trade, and create a more efficient environment for the business community and border personnel alike.”
In their letter, the lawmakers urged federal agencies to expedite the next phase of the project, citing concerns over aging infrastructure, border operations, and public safety. The DeConcini facility was originally constructed in 1931, and last underwent major modernization in 1994. Lawmakers said portions of the port are increasingly vulnerable to flooding and related infrastructure failures that can disrupt travel and commerce.
The letter described the port as one of the nation’s busiest land crossings and emphasized its role in supporting economic activity beyond a local level as well as national security. The lawmakers wrote, “This is not a Nogales project; this is a national asset in desperate need of investment.”
According to Ciscomani’s office, modernization of the port would improve inspection capabilities, increase efficiency for lawful crossings, and enhance safety for Customs and Border Protection personnel working at the facility.
Emphasizing the facility’s necessity for border security, Ciscomani wrote, “Ensuring CBP has access to modern infrastructure and advanced screening technologies at DeConcini is essential to counter evolving smuggling tactics and protect our communities. The battle against the flow of narcotics has shifted from those measured by the bundle and the ton to those that measured in the thousands of pills that are strapped around a smugglers’ waist. The DeConcini LPOE is at the forefront of this fight, and we must ensure that enforcement personnel have the best facilities, tools, and training to do their job to the best of their ability.”
A woman was arrested in April after CBP officers at the DeConcini crossing referred her vehicle to secondary inspection as she attempted to enter Mexico, accompanied by three minors. According to a CBP press release, officers seized “a rocket-propelled grenade launcher tube, four rifles, an Avtomat Kalashnikova–or AK–pistol, 16 AK rifles, 24 rifle magazines, 16 rifle stocks, 20 pistol grips, and miscellaneous other weapons parts.”
Local business leaders also expressed support for the effort. Jaime Chamberlain, a Nogales businessman and member of the Border Trade Alliance, said that modern infrastructure is necessary to maintain trade flow and public safety at the crossing.
Chamberlain said, “Nearly 10 million people cross through Nogales each year, and without significant investment, we risk falling behind at a time when global competitiveness demands the opposite. Our region—and our nation—cannot afford inefficiencies at one of its most important gateways. Just as importantly, modernization will provide our frontline officers with the facilities and technology they need to protect our communities while keeping legitimate travel and commerce moving.”
The lawmakers’ call for modernization comes as federal agencies continue environmental and planning reviews associated with a potential large-scale redevelopment of the crossing. The DeConcini Port of Entry operates continuously and serves millions of travelers annually, though officials and local stakeholders have argued the current footprint and infrastructure are no longer sufficient to meet long-term demands.
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 | Apr 29, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized dozens of weapons and military-style components from a suspected weapons smuggler with three children in her vehicle at the Nogales, Arizona, Port of Entry, according to federal officials.
The seizure occurred when CBP officers conducting outbound enforcement operations referred a vehicle for secondary inspection before it exited the United States. During that inspection, officers discovered a large cache of weapons and firearm parts concealed inside the vehicle in a hidden compartment.
According to a CBP press release, the seizure included “a rocket-propelled grenade launcher tube, four rifles, an Avtomat Kalashnikova–or AK–pistol, 16 AK rifles, 24 rifle magazines, 16 rifle stocks, 20 pistol grips.”
“Under the powerful leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, our frontline CBP officers utilized an effective combination of inspection experience and technology to find these weapons and prevent them from falling into the hands of the cartels,” CBP’s Acting Deputy Commissioner Ron Vitiello said in a statement. “CBP prevented these dangerous weapons from wreaking havoc on the good people of Mexico.”
CBP officials said a 41-year-old U.S. citizen woman driving the vehicle was arrested and charged with weapons smuggling under 18 U.S.C. 554 – Smuggling goods from the United States. Three children who were also inside the vehicle at the time of the stop were released to a family member.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona Timothy Courchaine described the case in connection with Mexican drug cartels, stating, “President Trump designated criminal drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations for good reason, and this case is one of many that shows their violent intent to hang on to power. The United States Attorney’s Office is proud to work alongside the Department of Homeland Security to make sure we choke off the flow of weapons to violent actors in Mexico and bring their accomplices in the United States to justice.”
CBP conducts routine outbound inspections to identify and interdict the illegal export of firearms, ammunition, currency, and other contraband. According to the agency, such enforcement actions are aimed at disrupting transnational criminal organizations that rely on the illicit movement of weapons from the United States into Mexico.
The case remains under active investigation.
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 Staff Reporter | Feb 10, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Another illegal alien who entered the country under President Joe Biden has taken lives.
30-year-old Bekzhan Beishekeev, a Kyrgyzstani national, killed four Amish men when he drove the wrong way into oncoming traffic in Indiana on Tuesday. The victims were identified as Henry Eicher, 50 and his sons Menno, 25, and Paul, 19; and Simon Girod, 23.
The driver of the struck vehicle, 55-year-old Donald Stipp, remains in the hospital. Stipp’s daughter-in-law launched a GoFundMe to cover Stipp’s medical expenses and recovery.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed reports that Beishekeev entered the U.S. illegally in December 2023 at the Nogales port of entry. Beishekeev used the CBP One app, which effectively allowed illegal aliens to enter the country and work for two years without vetting.
As with millions of others before him, the Biden administration exercised their “catch-and-release” policy on Beishekeev, freeing him on parole.
The White House issued a statement calling the deaths a “preventable tragedy” that illustrated the need to continue mass deportations and end sanctuary city policies.
The Trump administration revoked legal status for illegal aliens who relied on the CBP One app to delay their immigration proceedings. Over 900,000 illegal aliens entered the country using the app.
The state of Pennsylvania awarded Beishekeev a non-domiciled CDL last July, with an expiration date of June 2029. Beishekeev’s license reflected a home address in Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro declined to directly address the incident.
A spokesperson for Shapiro said that Beishekeev provided proof of identity and legal presence verified by the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements database, as per Pennsylvania law. Shapiro’s office said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was to blame for not catching Beishekeev’s legal status upon assuming the agency.
“The individual in question had legal status in Kristi Noem’s database when the license was issued in July 2025 and still shows as eligible to receive a license as of today,” said Shapiro spokesman Alex Peterson. “Kristi Noem should focus on minding the shop in her own agency, as her incompetence and operational failures seem to be matching the scale of her moral failures as the Secretary of Homeland Security.”
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin responded that Shapiro’s administration bore responsibility for granting CDLs to CBP One parolees.
“Not only was Bekzhan Beishekeev released into our country by the Biden administration using the CBP One app, but he was also given a commercial driver’s license by Governor Shapiro’s Pennsylvania,” said McLaughlin. “It is incredibly dangerous for illegal aliens, who often don’t know our traffic laws or even English, to be operating semi-trucks on America’s roads. These sanctuary governors must stop giving illegal aliens commercial driver’s licenses before another American gets killed.”
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said the blame was with Democratic leaders rejecting immigration law.
“Hoosiers should be able to get to work in the morning without fear of needlessly losing their lives because of Democrats’ refusal to enforce the law,” said Braun. “With open and unchecked borders, millions of illegal immigrants flooded our communities, making every state a border state. Complicit democrats have put our safety at risk—and that has come at the price of innocent lives.”
Per reporting from Freight Waves, Beishekeev drove for a “chameleon carrier network” with officers bearing Kyrgyzstani names.
Chameleon carrier networks operate as separate-on-paper using different Department of Transportation (DOT) vehicle identification numbers, yet they rely on the same drivers, equipment, and management so as to continue operations when one or more within their network gets shut down.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jan 11, 2025 | News
By Daniel Stefanksi |
A dangerous discovery was made in southern Arizona.
On Tuesday, Michael W. Humphries, the CBP Port Director of the Port of Nogales, alerted his followers on X that his team had uncovered a shocking load of weapons at the end of the previous year. He wrote, “CBP officers working outbound operations at the Nogales POE seized a rocket launcher and 2 rocket propelled grenades hidden in a car headed to Mexico. The cache was likely intended to protect the cartels and their fentanyl production labs in Mexico.”
Fox News journalist Bill Melugin noted the announcement from the CBP official, adding, “CBP seizes a RPG being smuggled into Mexico at the Nogales, AZ port of entry. Drugs go north, guns go south.”
In an exclusive comment to AZ Free News, Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen reacted to the news, saying, “This is a grim reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers are facing as a result of the Biden administration and our Governor not doing everything in their power to secure our southern border. Arizonans are eagerly awaiting when President Trump reinstates sanity and upholds the rule of law in our country, and Republicans at the Arizona Legislature will give him our full support in this important mission.”
One of Arizona’s top law enforcement officials, Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels, told AZ Free News that “the seizure of these military style weapons illustrates the networking between transnational-criminal cartels and those working on U.S. soil.”
The discovery in southern Arizona is another daily reminder of the dangers faced by the increasingly open and lawless border – especially over the past four years. While much attention is spent on the inbound traffic at and around the ports of entry at the border, there are too few resources and not enough attention to adequately identify the outbound traffic back into Mexico – like this shipment of seized weapons in Nogales. President-elect Donald J. Trump will be taking office in less than two weeks, and he and his team have vowed to crack down on the issues faced by Americans and law enforcement agents due to the porous border.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Sep 29, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Federal agents at the border were busy earlier this month to stop dangerous drugs from escaping into American communities.
On September 23, Nogales Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Area Port Director Michael W. Humphries announced that his port of entry had seized more than 1.5 million fentanyl pills over four days at the start of the month.
According to Director Humphries, the pills were discovered and apprehended on September 5 (approximately 527,000 pills in a car), September 6 (approximately 1,000,000 pills in a car), and September 8 (approximately 55,000 pills in a car battery).
Just days after these seizures, Humphries revealed that his officers had encountered over 341 pounds of illegal meth on a rail box car.
In Fiscal Year 2024, the Tucson CPB Field Office and Tucson Sector have interdicted more than 30,000 pounds of fentanyl, with one month left in the twelve-month calendar. Last fiscal year, over 25,000 pounds of fentanyl were apprehended in that section of the border.
These seizures are only a fraction of the drugs escaping detection from law enforcement into communities all across the nation. In 2022, The Washington Post published an article about the proliferation of fentanyl from Mexico to the United States, citing estimations from unnamed federal drug agents that “they are seizing 5 to 10 percent of the drugs coming from Mexico – if that much.” The article also stated that “agents say it has been nearly impossible to stop fentanyl trafficking” at the border.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
