Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio says he is willing to go to Mexico at his own expense to meet with Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard Casaubón for an apology and also would accept a video apology.|| Flickr
By Tara Kavaler || The Arizona Republic
Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio wants an apology from Mexico’s foreign secretary ― the equivalent of the U.S. secretary of state ― for saying last year that Arpaio helped facilitate the murder of migrants and was responsible for gun smuggling in Mexico.
Speaking Oct. 5 before the Mexican Senate, Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard Casaubón, commonly known as Marcelo Ebrard, told the lawmakers that Arpaio “promote(d) the murder of migrants” and is connected to the trafficking of 1,482 weapons from Maricopa County.
Arpaio has been seeking an apology from Ebrard or someone more senior in the Mexican government. He has tried to get one on his own and has tried to get U.S. public officials to intervene on his behalf.
An apology is important, Arpaio says, because beyond the increased threats he says he has faced, are the broader implications for our political system.
“I just happen to be a scapegoat because of my fight against illegal immigration, drug smugglers and corruption … (and for) just doing my job,” he said. “If they can do it to me, they can do it to anybody, any politician, any private citizen.”
Arpaio says he is willing to go to Mexico at his own expense to meet with Ebrard for an apology and also would accept a video apology.
He tried to get National Security Adviser Joe Sullivan to speak on his behalf when the senior Biden official met Oct. 13 with Ebrard but said he did not hear back.
U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., did stand up for Arpaio.
