Arizona’s Call for Action: DEA Agents’ Relocation Sparks Controversy
In a recent development, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has voiced strong objections regarding the Trump administration’s decision to relocate numerous drug enforcement agents from Arizona to Washington, D.C. This move, she argues, jeopardizes ongoing efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking in the state.
Mayes highlighted the issue during a weekend interview with 12News, revealing that around 60 DEA agents were reassigned as part of the former president’s initiative to address crime. At a press briefing on Monday, she urged the return of these agents, emphasizing their pivotal role in tackling cartel activities.
“Arizona is the fentanyl funnel for the rest of the country, and I find it absolutely outrageous that any president would endanger our entire country in this way … I call on Donald Trump to give me our DEA agents back right now,” Mayes stated.
The attorney general also noted that some agents have been redirected to Los Angeles, further stressing the need for them to resume their duties in Arizona. “They need to come back. They need to do their regular jobs,” she insisted, criticizing their current tasks as unrelated to Arizona’s pressing drug issues.
Before this relocation, the state had approximately 350 DEA agents, a number Mayes already considered insufficient. She has persistently requested increased federal support, including during President Joe Biden’s administration, as per her ongoing critiques of federal efforts to manage illegal drug flows.
“I have no idea why the federal government, and the Trump administration in particular, thought this was a good idea, but it’s a terrible idea, and I want those DEA agents back,” Mayes said.
Mayes is committed to pursuing this matter, planning to send a formal request to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi for the agents’ return. The Department of Justice has yet to comment on the situation or provide a timeline for when these agents might be reassigned back to Arizona.
Meanwhile, Trump has signaled intentions to extend his crime control measures to other cities led by Democrats, such as New York and Chicago, a move Mayes opposes. “They better not start sending them to other places like New York or Chicago also. I mean, I’ll object, obviously, if they do that,” she remarked.
Critics argue that the president’s actions, involving a federal force comprising various agencies and National Guard troops, overstep his authority and target political adversaries rather than prioritizing public safety.
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