TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, U.S. Border Patrol agents collaborated with Mexican Federal Police Force officers working a binational operation near Nogales.

Tucson Sector’s Foreign Operations Branch and Special Operations Detachment provided surveillance from the U.S. side of the border. This assistance helped Mexican authorities assigned to the Border Violence Prevention Protocol Office disrupt and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations operating on both sides of the international boundary.

Authorities targeted human and narcotics smugglers operating outside of Nogales, Sonora. The four-day operation concluded Friday, November 29.

“Binational collaboration is crucial to ensuring the safety of communities on both sides of the border,” said Roy Villareal, Tucson Sector Chief Patrol Agent. “The disruption of endeavors by dangerous criminal organizations who profit from the misery of others will always be one of Tucson Sector’s goals.”

TCOs pose a threat to public safety and security along the border. They traffic narcotics, humans, weapons, ammunition, and currency and attempt to evade detection and arrest by each country’s respective law enforcement agencies. Combating the common TCO threat requires successful, binational coordination between U.S. Border Patrol and Mexico’s Federal Police Force.

For more details regarding this news release, contact the Tucson Sector Public Affairs Office at tca-pao@cbp.dhs.gov or by phone at 520-748-3210. Tucson Sector is also LiveU capable. Contact us to schedule an interview.