Arizona may let police shoot down cartel drones within 30 miles of Mexican border

• Arizona lawmakers aim to give its police agencies more power in the fight against drug trafficking across the U.S.-Mexico border. A bill introduced in February would allow local and state law enforcement to shoot down cartel-operated drones.
• The legislation known as House Bill 2733, introduced by Republican state lawmaker David Marshall, has bipartisan support.
• The bill would give authorities immunity from any potential injuries caused by taking down unmanned drones within 30 miles of the southern border.

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Arizona lawmakers aim to give its police agencies more power in the fight against drug trafficking across the U.S.-Mexico border. A bill introduced this month would allow local and state law enforcement to shoot down cartel-operated drones.

This act is unlawful and falls on federal authorities to take action.

The legislation known as House Bill 2733, introduced by Republican state lawmaker David Marshall, has bipartisan support. It would give authorities immunity from any potential injuries caused by taking down unmanned drones within 30 miles of the southern border.

Why are drones important to cartels?

Authorities said cartels often use drones to keep tabs on law enforcement operations. The devices help cartels evade agents and smuggle drugs into the U.S.

While illegal border crossings have fallen in recent months, local authorities said criminal activity is still a problem. Cartels have increasingly turned to drones to deliver narcotics amid enhanced border security by the U.S.

Local police said drug-smuggling drones are used to drop loads of narcotics in the desert. They are then picked up on the American side of the border.

What are the next steps?

If the bill passes, it will go to Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs for her to sign it into law. While she has not revealed whether she would sign the legislation or not, Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes supports the measure.

Who supports the measure and why?

Mayes stated on Monday, Feb. 17, that the bill is necessary for local authorities to combat the increasingly inventive methods cartels are using to smuggle across the border.

“Let’s empower law enforcement from Arizona to disable these cartel drones,” Mayes said. “Let’s give our sheriffs and police chiefs the authority to fight back by passing this bill, and let’s work together to take back the border, our border, from the Mexican drug cartels.”

The law would be utilized for border operations and implemented in desert regions, where injuries are least likely to occur, she said.

What is the impact of drug trafficking?

Nearly 1,500 Arizonans reportedly died last year from opioid-related overdoses, with many cases involving fentanyl, a drug frequently smuggled across the border by cartels.