Kansas Senator Roger Marshall Visits Cochise County, Meets with Troops

SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (SVL) — U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) visited Cochise County at the end of May to tour the Joint Task Force-Southern Border Command, meet soldiers from Kansas’ own 1st Infantry Division, and get a firsthand look at the the border with Cochise County Sheriff’s Office

As part of the visit, Senator Marshall received briefings from border officials, participated in a meeting with Cochise County Sheriff’s Office Detective Cody Essary, and received an aerial tour of the Arizona border region. He was joined by a delegation of Kansas law enforcement leaders, highlighting the connection between border security and public safety in communities across the country.

The delegation included Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) Director Tony Mattivi, Riley County Police Department Director Brian Peete, Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeffery Easter, Crawford County Sheriff Billy Tomasi, Ellis County Sheriff and Kansas Sheriffs’ Association President Scott Braun, Hugoton Police Chief and Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police President Courtney Leslie, and Kansas City, Kansas Police Chief Karl Oakman.

“I was honored to join Senator Marshall and several sheriffs and police chiefs in experiencing firsthand the challenges at our southern border,” said KBI Director Tony Mattivi. “We know every fentanyl pill sold in Kansas is trafficked by Mexican drug cartels through this border. Every single pill that kills a Kansan enters the country here, so we must continue the fight to keep dangerous and violent criminals out.”

“The experience was very informative. It was amazing to me to see what 4 years of an unsecured border looked like and the issues it created for the United States,” said Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeffrey Easter. “This trip highlighted the absolute cooperation between the U.S military, Border Patrol, and the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office. These men and women are on the front lines protecting Kansans from the fentanyl and methamphetamine scourge that has gripped Sedgwick County. I am very appreciative of Senator Marshall inviting me to observe and understand the situation at our border.”

Courtesy Senator Roger Marshal