BLM Spurned Chief Ranger’s Recommendation to Close National Monument Near Mexican Border for Safety Reasons
(CNSNews.com) – The chief ranger of the 478,000-acre Sonoran Desert National Monument, located in south-central Arizona about 60 miles north of the border, recommended that the monument be closed to the public because of what he believed to be a safety threat posed by drug smugglers coming across the Mexican border, but higher-ups in the Bureau of Land Management turned aside his request, according to the BLM and the Government Accountability Office. Starting in 2009, BLM did post signs warning Americans about the risks of visiting federal lands in their own country.

GAO: Armed Smugglers, Marijuana Growers Threaten Americans’ Safety on Federal Lands
(CNSNews.com) – Armed individuals involved in illegal border activity and marijuana cultivation now threaten the safety of both the public and government employees on public lands, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

Border Patrol’s Battle Against Illicit Activity on Federal Lands Suffers From Lack of Resources
(CNSNews.com) – The U.S. Border Patrol is losing the battle over human and drug smuggling on lands owned and managed by the federal government in the southwest, where illegal entries have outpaced apprehensions, according to a government audit. The “logistical and operational challenges” facing Border Patrol agents include a lack of resources, according to the Government Accountability Office audit released last week.