No.
While an Arizona Department of Agriculture employee pleaded guilty to a smuggling-related offense this year, he was not part of Gov. Katie Hobbs’ administration. An administration member is generally defined as someone appointed to a post by the governor or another senior official. The employee, who has since been fired, began working for the state in 2013 — nearly a decade before Hobbs took office, according to a spokesperson for the governor.
Court documents indicate Border Patrol agents arrested the individual after noticing him driving suspiciously and picking up two people later found to be noncitizens.
The Department of Agriculture is reviewing its policies and procedures and has taken steps to inform employees about how to identify and report illegal behavior, according to Hobbs’ office.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
Sources
- Spokesperson for Gov. Katie Hobbs, Email Correspondence with Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
- U.S. District Court of Arizona, U.S. v. Joshua Castro Criminal Complaint
- U.S. District Court of Arizona, U.S. v. Joshua Castro Plea Agreement
- U.S. District Court of Arizona, U.S. v. Joshua Castro Judgement
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is partnering with Gigafact to produce timely fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
