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 / Modified jun 23, 2018 7:40 a.m.

Cochise County's Crackdown on Young Drug Smugglers

The county attorney is prosecuting more minors as adults for smuggling charges.

This week, Arizona 360 looked into Cochise County's efforts to crack down on young drug smugglers. A few years ago, County Attorney Brian McIntyre began requesting that minors arrested on drug smuggling charges be prosecuted as adults. He explained to Lorraine Rivera that he wanted to send a different message after cartels had convinced teens they would face few penalties if authorities caught them.

McIntyre believes his strategy is helping deter smugglers. In the fall of 2017, his office prosecuted 10 minors as adults. As of March 2018, that number dropped to zero. Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels also expressed support for the attorney's crackdown. Dannels said it plays into larger efforts to stop the flow of drugs into the United States.

Arizona 360
Arizona 360 airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m. on PBS 6 and Saturdays at 8 p.m. on PBS 6 PLUS. See more from Arizona 360.
MORE: Arizona 360 Segments, Border, Drugs, Justice System, Law Enforcement
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