Significant progress has been made in halting the supply of harmful narcotics into Arizona, according to Governor Katie Hobbs. Arizona National Guard personnel make up Task Force SAFE, which is tasked with supporting U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in their battle against illegal drugs along the Southwest border. At ports of entry along Arizona’s border, guardsmen are assigned to the secondary search and scan, rail inspection, and vehicle breakdown teams.
More than 6 million fentanyl pills and more than 1,400 pounds of meth, cocaine, fentanyl powder, and heroin have been seized since Task Force SAFE began operations in July 2024. A multimillion dollar endeavor to combat drug trafficking, assist law enforcement, and provide treatment to Arizonans impacted by the opioid crisis, the Task Force is a component of Governor Hobbs’ SAFE (Stopping Arizona’s Fentanyl Epidemic) Initiative.
By increasing operational capacity by more than 20 percent and extending state assets to ports of entry, this project expands on the more than 170 service members who are now embedded in law enforcement agencies around the state as part of the National Guard’s Counter Drug Program.
The SAFE Initiative provides $17 million for the Arizona Department of Public Safety to support local law enforcement agencies with drug interdiction efforts in border areas, along with $3 million for the Arizona National Guard to help with fentanyl detection. Additionally, it includes $1 million to provide and equip first responders with life-saving overdose reversal medication and $5 million to fund substance addiction treatment programs for veterans.