PHOENIX, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- The governor of Arizona and her counterpart in Sonora, Mexico, plan to coordinate efforts to fight drug trafficking and illegal immigration on the border.
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano has been voicing frustration with federal officials in helping with U.S.-Mexico border issues, the Arizona Republic reported Friday. She and Sonora Gov. Eduardo Bours said they were setting up plans to combat "coyotes" who smuggle people across the border and the smugglers who take drugs across.
Napolitano said she was ordering 12 Department of Public Safety officers to an auto-theft task force. Stolen cars are often used in border smuggling. She is also targeting fake identification cards.
The Arizona governor recently sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff complaining of "lack of urgency" on the federal level that is creating an urgent situation in Arizona, the Republic said.
Napolitano this week also followed the lead of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who declared the border a disaster area, allowing funds to be used to fight illegal immigration and smuggling.
