Why The U.S. Military Is Patrolling Cochise County

Fort Huachuca is one of the United States' most important military bases. Located in Southeastern Arizona, nestled in the Huachuca Mountains, the military has depended on this location since the mid-19th century.

Now, national troops will begin making their way to the fort, and soon will begin to patrol Southern Arizona, specifically Cochise County for one reason and one reason only.

What Will Troops Be Doing?

On March 20th, the Department of Defense okayed a plan to allow military personnel to join the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol for advanced detection and monitoring along the Southern Arizona border.

Working alongside CBP, Fort Huachuca's troops will be stationed across the border, working on surveillance to observe and report any illegal activity happening. This could be anything from illegal crossings to drug deals done in the open desert surrounding Southern Arizona.

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What is the Goal?

This is an easy answer. Since the 2016 administration, Trump has made it his number one goal to secure and lock down the southern border of the United States. That plan has not been entirely successful so far, and so, the military has stepped in to add an extra push to securing these sites.

Now, military personnel will not be working in an active role. They are still not allowed to partake in any civilian law enforcement activities, such as making arrests, searches, or seizures. For the time being, they'll just be our new eye in the sky, but there's no promises that this program won't escalate in the coming months if progress is still low.

[AZ Central][U.S. Northern Command]