Fentanyl seizures and border crossings decline, Tucson Border Patrol reports

For Tucson residents, the latest border figures point to major changes in activity across the region, including far fewer migrant crossings, fewer fentanyl seizures and fewer desert rescues. At the same time, federal officials say drugs are still being intercepted, cocaine seizures are increasing, and new inspection technology is expected to affect traffic through Arizona ports of entry. The updates were presented Oct. 21 at Tucson Sector headquarters by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials reviewing operations for fiscal year 2026, which ended Sept. 30.

Acting Deputy Chief Border Patrol Agent Stephen Cristinzio said illegal crossings in the Tucson Sector fell 96% from fiscal year 2024 to fiscal year 2026. The sector recorded more than 460,000 crossings in fiscal year 2024 and about 16,000 in fiscal year 2026, according to CBP. Cristinzio attributed the decline to stronger enforcement of Title 8 immigration laws, increased staffing, new barriers, surveillance technology and support from federal, local and military partners. He also said that, during the previous 17 months, no migrants had been released into the country’s interior, a policy he said made it more difficult for Mexican cartels to sell smuggling services.

The decline in crossings has also changed the demands on agents working in the desert around Tucson. Greg Tolley, deputy director of Tucson Air and Marine Operations, said rescue operations have decreased, but remain a major part of the agency’s mission. The desert remains dangerous for anyone attempting to cross, he said. Cristinzio described the work as a law enforcement responsibility that frequently becomes a humanitarian rescue effort when people are found in distress.

That concern comes as access to some humanitarian resources has changed. The federal government recently denied permits to Humane Borders for areas where the nonprofit had placed water stations, affecting roughly 30% of its stations. Cristinzio said CBP headquarters has not discussed replacing the stations, although agency teams remain available to assist people in need. He said providing aid to anyone in distress is essential, while also acknowledging that federal agencies have raised safety concerns about people reaching water stations on restricted land. He added that CBP has not discussed eliminating its rescue capability and considers humanitarian assistance a continuing priority.

Drug enforcement figures present a more complicated picture. Cristinzio said the number of fentanyl seizures in the Tucson Sector dropped 61% over the past two fiscal years, while the total amount seized declined 30% between fiscal years 2025 and 2026. He said agents are no longer encountering fentanyl as frequently at checkpoints or among groups carrying drugs through the desert. CBP’s Tucson Air Branch separately reported seizing 488 pounds of fentanyl and 283 pounds of cocaine during fiscal year 2026, the highest fentanyl seizure total among the agency’s air branches nationwide.

At ports of entry, however, the number of fentanyl seizures increased 10% from the previous year even as the average size of each shipment fell. Roque Caza, director of field operations for the Tucson office, said smugglers are using smaller amounts, more concealed locations and passenger vehicles. Arizona ports accounted for more than 30% of fentanyl seized by CBP nationwide during the period officials discussed. Caza said methamphetamine seizures also declined, but cocaine seizures increased compared with previous years. CBP officials said they intercepted more than 15,000 pounds of narcotics, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and marijuana, during the relevant fiscal year. Officials also reported seizing more than 250,000 rounds of ammunition in 2025, much of it associated with efforts to prevent firearms and ammunition from reaching cartels in Mexico.

The changing seizure totals come amid a broader debate over federal priorities and investigative capacity. A Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General report released in August said limitations involving Homeland Security Investigations technology and information had hindered active fentanyl investigations. The report found that fentanyl investigations declined 24% from 2024 to 2025 as agency priorities shifted toward immigration enforcement. Tucson officials nevertheless said their own agents continue to focus on drug interdiction, while Caza emphasized that even a small amount of fentanyl getting through remains unacceptable and requires additional work across the border and throughout the country.

For people who cross regularly for employment or business, the most immediate changes may come at the ports of entry. Caza said the Tucson Sector expects new vehicle inspection technology to be ready for testing within 30 days at the Nogales and San Luis ports. CBP is already using less intrusive inspection devices, including X ray systems, and plans to expand technology that can examine vehicles more efficiently. Officials said the agency also intends to add personnel during the busy agricultural season so workers who regularly cross through San Luis and other Arizona ports are not blocked by heavy traffic. Caza cautioned that funding for additional hires depends on Congress and the president, but said staffing plans would account for the needs of agricultural workers while maintaining enforcement duties.

Officials also highlighted cooperation with Mexican authorities, the military and other federal, state, local and tribal agencies. Caza said communication with Mexican customs, military and federal police is necessary to stop ammunition from reaching cartels. Tucson Air and Marine Operations credited joint investigations with its drug seizures, while Border Patrol leadership pointed to the Homeland Security Task Force and local law enforcement for helping arrest and remove people officials described as dangerous criminal migrants. Caza said the agency remains dissatisfied with the possibility that any fentanyl could enter the country, and Tolley stressed that despite lower crossing and rescue numbers, crossing the desert remains dangerous. For Tucson, the figures signal less visible activity along the border, but not an end to the drug, traffic, enforcement and humanitarian challenges tied to the region’s international crossings.