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Arizona Gov. Hobbs announces $17 million for border safety, Yuma County law enforcement agencies to benefit

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs visits an unidentified section of the border fence in southern Arizona.
twitter.com/GovernorHobbs
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs visits an unidentified section of the border fence in southern Arizona.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs today announced more than $17 million in funding for border security measures.

Two days after her 2025 State of the State address at the State Capitol in Phoenix, Gov. Hobbs announced $17.2 million in funding from the SAFE (Stopping Arizona’s Fentanyl Epidemic) initiative "to support local law enforcement’s border security work, drug interdiction efforts and combatting human trafficking."

Hobbs said the funding would support local border law enforcement agencies, including in Yuma County, as part of more than $100 million she said she has already delivered on border safety efforts.

In a released statement the governor said “Our law enforcement officers play a critical role in securing our border and keeping Arizonans safe. By working together, we can stop dangerous drugs from harming our communities, assist those struggling with addiction and ensure our officers have the tools they need to succeed. I’m proud to deliver this funding to local law enforcement to secure the border.”

Hobbs said county sheriffs, including Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot and local police departments including those in Yuma, Somerton and San Luis, will benefit from the funding to help with drug interdiction efforts in those border communities.

The governor's off said that in 2024, the Arizona Department of Public Safety seized 2,645 pounds of fentanyl valued at about $35.5 million. The Arizona National Guard’s Task Force SAFE mission launched last year and has confiscated more than 8 million fentanyl pills and more than 2,000 pounds of meth, cocaine and powdered fentanyl, valued at more than $20 million.

A specific breakdown for how much Yuma County or its local law enforcement agencies will receive from this funding has not yet been announced.

Victor is originally from West Sacramento, California and has lived in Arizona for more than five years. He began his print journalism career in 2004 following his graduation from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. Victor has been a reporter for the following daily newspapers: The Monterey County Herald, The Salinas Californian and the Reno Gazette-Journal, where he covered stories including agriculture, education and Latino community news. Victor has also served as a local editor for Patch, a national news organization with hyperlocal websites, in Carmichael, California in the Sacramento area. He also served as the editor for The New Vision, the newspaper for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson, which includes Yuma and La Paz counties. Victor lives in Somerton. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends and following most sports.
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