AZ Attorney Gen. Beefs Up Security With Border Crime Prosecution Team

PHOENIX -- Attorney General Terry Goddard announced a new Border Crime Prosecution Team, based in Tucson, which will investigate and prosecute the smuggling of weapons, humans, drugs and money across the border by the Mexican cartels.

Funding for this prosecutorial team will come from the $94 million money laundering settlement that Goddard secured from Western Union in February.

"We're doing our part in Arizona to beef up the prosecution of border crime," said Attorney General Goddard. "However, we can't do it alone. It is time for the Federal government to step up more aggressively and do their part."

Goddard has led the fight against border crime committed by drug- and human-smuggling cartels. His groundbreaking work in this area has included:

• Targeting wire transfers of cartel profits
• Seizure of tens of millions in cartel assets
• Major prosecutions of human and drug smuggling rings
• Training of over 400 Mexican prosecutors in an effort to help them be more successful in putting cartel members behind bars in Mexico.
• Creation of the Southwest Border Alliance to better coordinate efforts of local, state and federal law enforcement throughout the entire Southwest border in attacking the criminal cartels.

Today's announcement is the latest major step in the Attorney General's ongoing fight against border crime.

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 Contact: Janey Pearl

602-254-6342 or 480-720-4000