SW Valley Times

An Arizona sheriff whose primary goals are border security, organizational development and community outreach has criticized the federal government for its handling of the southern border. Cochise County, Arizona, Sheriff Mark Dannels told “The Jenny Beth Show” -- with host Jenny Beth Martin -- that the current state of immigration is overwhelming the border areas, which don’t receive federal government support.

Dannels has been the 26th Cochise County Sheriff since 1881, having been elected in November 2012 and 2016, according to the Cochise County, Arizona, website. He is also a former member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council.

“This is the ugliest I’ve ever seen our southern border,” Dannels told “The Jenny Beth Show.” “Washington, D.C., refuses to work with us. They have neglected this border. The reality is the cartels are doing more than they ever have on the border because they are allowed to do it.”

Dannels told the show that bureaucrats in Washington can’t accept the fact that the border needs immediate attention.

“Last year alone, in 2022, we arrested 1,578 people in my county for state violations,” Dannels told Martin. “These aren’t immigration charges -- all the way from murder down to misdemeanor crimes. Out of the 1,578, 1,500 were U.S. citizens that drove from all over this country… to come to Cochise County to participate in international crime.”

Americans are not happy with the government’s handling of the U.S.-Mexico border, according to a June 21 Pew Research Center report.

“Just 23% of Americans say the government is doing a good job dealing with the large number of people seeking asylum at the border, while more than three times as many (73%) say it’s doing a bad job,” the report said.

A U.S. Army veteran, Dannels started his law enforcement career in 1984. He served with the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office in several positions, including as deputy commander.

Martin is cofounder and president of Tea Party Patriots, according to LinkedIn. She is also honorary chairman of Tea Party Patriots Action, with headquarters in Georgia. She was named among “Time 100 Most Influential Leaders in World” by Time Magazine in April 2010. She has degrees from Reinhardt College and the University of Georgia.