By Kevin Reagan | Casa Grande Dispatch
The president of the Border Patrol union supports Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu’s statements of escalating violence among drug smugglers.
However, border sheriffs say they have received no warnings or alerts from the federal government confirming the claims made by Babeu in a news conference Monday. One sheriff said violence has actually gone down along the border in his county.
Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, which represents about 18,000 agents, thanked Babeu for “bringing to light” the threat of dangerous drug cartels fighting each other in Arizona.
In the press conference, Babeu warned the public of possible hit men being sent up from Mexico to protect drug carriers from “rip crews,” robbers known to hold up other smugglers at gunpoint.
