SADDLEBROOKE, AZ – The fight against cartel smuggling in Pinal County isn’t happening at the U.S.-Mexico border—it’s unfolding along Interstate 8, where Sheriff Ross Teeple’s anti-smuggling units have made their stand, as revealed in the State of Pinal County 2025 address held in Saddlebrooke, AZ.
Sheriff Teeple pointed to a unique challenge in border enforcement: The Tohono O’odham Nation’s reservation, which includes 62 miles of international border, has become vulnerable to cartel exploitation. The traditional lands of the Nation, which range from central and southern Arizona into northern Mexico, have become a focal point for drug trafficking concerns, with tribal members who hold both U.S. and Mexican citizenship reportedly being coerced or forced to assist in smuggling operations.
Despite Pinal County not being a border county, Teeple emphasized the critical nature of local border enforcement due to cartel activities. “That’s why this is very important for us,” Teeple said, explaining that his department’s anti-smuggling and narcotics units spend the majority of their time along Interstate 8, where the Nation’s territory ends. The sheriff identified border support as one of his top four priorities, particularly focusing on drug interdiction efforts where his jurisdiction meets tribal lands.
Teeple’s push for stronger border enforcement coincides with House Bill 2606, a newly introduced measure that seeks to inject $50 million into local law enforcement efforts. The funding would support law enforcement positions focused on border drug interdiction and provide grants to local jurisdictions for prosecuting and detaining individuals charged with drug trafficking, human smuggling, illegal immigration, and other border-related crimes.
According to Tohono O’odham Nation government documents, they have implemented multiple security measures, including vehicle barriers and Border Patrol checkpoints, resulting in an 84% decline in undocumented migrant apprehensions on their lands over a decade. While the Nation has consistently opposed the construction of a physical border wall through multiple tribal resolutions, they invest an average of $3 million annually in border security and have established significant partnerships with federal agencies, including maintaining an on-reservation ICE office and CBP forward Law Enforcement Centers.
The convergence of Pinal County’s law enforcement priorities with the Tohono O’odham Nation’s border challenges highlights a complex regional security dynamic, where tribal lands and county jurisdictions intersect in the ongoing effort to combat drug trafficking and human smuggling operations along Arizona’s southern border.
