PHOENIX—During a Presidents' Day press conference, State Representative David Marshall (R-7) and Attorney General Kris Mayes spoke in favor of HB2733, a bill authorizing law enforcement to intercept and destroy drones used by Mexican drug cartels to scout and drop off drug shipments.
As BillTrack50 explained, the bill "grants immunity from liability to peace officers who intercept, capture, disable, shoot, or destroy an unmanned aircraft within 30 miles of the state's international border. "
Rep. Marshall, who introduced HB2733, called it "a critical tool that will help combat cartels and secure our southern border," describing the massive numbers of drugs intercepted by the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) in 2024 alone, including thousands of pounds of fentanyl and methamphetamine.
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"And by passing this critical legislation, we are empowering our law enforcement officers with the authority and legal backing to address this crisis," Rep. Marshall continued, adding, "We are also sending a clear message to the cartels: Arizona will not tolerate cartels infringing upon our security and dispensing deadly drugs to our citizens, and it is about time that we as legislators step up and give our law enforcement the tools they need to combat this disease at the border, the disease of drug trafficking and human trafficking."
AG Mayes then spoke, saying, "I am here to support a bill that is critical to Arizona's border security and that will help law enforcement combat drug traffickers and international drug rings."
She thanked Marshall for introducing the bill and the bipartisan nature of Democrats working to get the bill through the Arizona House of Representatives, as "the need to protect Arizonans is and should be a bipartisan effort."
"Since taking office two years ago, I made it a priority for my office to work in lockstep with federal law enforcement, the [Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)], our sheriffs, and local agencies to investigate and prosecute these criminals," AG Mayes continued, adding, "Arizona has become ground zero for the fentanyl crisis. More than half of all the fentanyl seized in the United States over the last two years was seized in Arizona."
As a result, "the crisis has devastated communities, torn families apart, and increased overdose deaths," referencing the statistic of fentanyl being the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45.
Worse, Mayes continued, the number of drones used to deliver fentanyl and other drugs across the border has increased and can fly deep into Arizona, up to 75 miles into the interior.
Thus, she endorsed HB2733, saying, "Let's empower local law enforcement from Arizona to disable these cartel drones. Let's give our sheriffs and our police chiefs the authority to fight back by passing this bill, and let's work together to take back our border from the Mexican drug cartels."
