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Ukraine’s ‘battle-tested’ drones are accelerating militarization along the U.S.-Mexico border

As U.S. law enforcement agencies adopt drone systems “battle-tested” in Ukraine, experts question whether existing safeguards are sufficient to govern increasing levels of surveillance on U.S. soil. The dual-purpose, military-grade technology now getting deployed in domestic border operations comes as the Trump administration devotes tens of billions of dollars to bolster security in response to…

By Alexandra Markovich, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
Visual reporting by  P. Nick Curran, 100 Days in Appalachia & Konstantin Chernichkin for AZCIR

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LAW ENFORCEMENT

A lawman’s change of heart

Iconic Texas Sheriff Arvin West was a leading voice against migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. He pushed strict measures favored by former President Donald Trump. But West says his perspective is aligned with what he sees as the reality of the border, his weariness of divisive politics, and the wishes of neighbors who’ve voted him…

by Alfredo Corchado

Border vigilantes are blurring the lines of law enforcement

All along the border, organized vigilante groups are filming themselves conducting patrols, taking photos of themselves alongside law enforcement, and sharing footage online to solicit donations, promote their work, and recruit new members. They’ve also forged relationships with local and federal law enforcement, particularly in several border counties in Arizona and Texas, raising questions about…

by Francesca D'Annunzio and Avery Schmitz

Sovereign citizens use “paper terrorism” to intimidate, harass Sedona public officials

Growth in the sovereign citizen movement in Sedona has led to bogus legal filings designed to intimidate and harass public officials, requests by court officials to increase building security and escalated tensions between the movement’s adherents and local police. City officials have publicly downplayed the movement’s growth, but their internal communications reveal an awareness of—and…

by Isaac Stone Simonelli

God-given rights: The nationwide spread of the ‘constitutional sheriff’

The Constitutional Sheriff and Peace Officers Association has for years railed against gun control laws, COVID public health mandates and alleged election fraud, ultimately presenting the sheriff as the ultimate arbiter of law. The group, which experts have labeled anti-democratic and anti-government, has also spread its ideology across the nation, seeking to become more mainstream…

by TJ L’Heureux, Adrienne Washington, Albert Serna Jr., Anisa Shabir and Isaac Stone Simonelli

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