Border Patrol Takes Down Cartel Safe House Near Arizona-Mexico Border
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.
