14-day operation nets 210 arrests in Arizona
ABC15 News
11/25/2011
By: Katie Fisher
Photographer: U.S. Customs and Border Protection
TUCSON, AZ – A two-week, multi-agency operation has netted more than 200 arrests across Arizona, according to officials.
According to a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson, the Alliance to Combat Transnational Threats (ACTT), which operates ongoing multi-agency enforcement in Arizona, conducted the Silver Bell operation from November 6 through November 19.
The multi-agency operation, concentrating efforts in the Silver Bell and Sawtooth Mountain areas, culminated in the arrest of 210 undocumented immigrants and the seizure of more than 6,000 pounds of marijuana.
Five vehicles and five firearms were also seized in the operation, officials said.
The operation included participation from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Public Safety, and several southern Arizona Border Patrol stations, among others.
“The coordination and partnership among the agencies helps to provide a safer and more secure environment for the public, employees and users of public lands; it also helps protect public land resources and values from the effects of smuggling,” said Jon Young, Bureau of Land Management, State Chief Ranger – Arizona