NOGALES, Ariz. — In an effort to disrupt the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, Arizona National Guard members with Task Force SAFE — Stopping Arizona’s Fentanyl Epidemic — support U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Arizona-Mexico border.
“Arizona National Guard Soldiers are serving with one goal: to prevent dangerous drugs from coming into our state,” said Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs during a visit to the Mariposa Port of Entry Nov. 18. “Task Force SAFE is more than a state initiative — it’s an urgent response to a real-time crisis affecting communities across Arizona.”
Since its stand up in June 2024 under the National Guard Counterdrug mission, Task Force SAFE has supported the seizure of more than 10 million fentanyl pills, 3,791 pounds of other illicit drugs and 16 weapons, with an estimated street value of $27.5 million, Arizona Guard officials said.
Although Arizona Guard members do not conduct law enforcement or interdiction operations, they serve as force multipliers by enhancing CBP operations with three mission sets: secondary search and scan teams, rail inspection teams and vehicle breakdown teams.
Search and scan teams help manage vehicle flow through X-ray systems, also known as Z-portals, and assist CBP with secondary inspections. Rail inspection teams support the search of commercial railcars entering the U.S. Vehicle breakdown teams assist with documenting, cataloging and dismantling vehicles when smuggling is suspected.
These support roles enable CBP agents to focus on frontline law enforcement duties.
“We allow more agents that are from CBP to be on that primary inspection lane, that initial contact, because we’re manning the traffic going through the Z-Portals,” said U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Benjamin Mason, the noncommissioned officer in charge of ports-of-entry operations. “We’ve made a good relationship with CBP. We haven’t had issues and have supported our CBP partners with the utmost professionalism.”
Supervisor CBP Officer Sam Johnson, a spokesperson with CBP’s Nogales Ports of Entry, said the Arizona Guard presence has eased staffing constraints.
“With them, we’re able to have more lanes open and traffic is able to move more freely,” she said. “We’re not having as long of a wait time because they’re here to take up those spots that the officers aren’t having to do.”
One Arizona Army National Guard member, whose name is being withheld for security reasons, described the daily impact his team has on CBP.
“We help in areas where they may take two extra officers out of the line to do something in particular. So, we take over those roles in order for them to be more productive out there because they’re already short staffed.”
For many Arizona Guard members, the mission is meaningful and gives them a strong sense of purpose.
“It’s pretty fun and rewarding work because we get to catch illegal stuff coming through or things that aren’t supposed to be in the country,” said an Airman on the mission whose name is also withheld for security reasons. “My main motivator is knowing that I’m helping to make the community a little safer by keeping those drugs out of the streets.”