“Along with my friends and neighbors who live near the border, I express my profound sadness at the loss of one of our courageous Border Patrol agents and extend my deepest condolences to the families of the agent killed and the other agent wounded.

The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI were quick to respond and they are searching for the suspects in this disgusting act of violence on the people who protect us.

This morning’s shooting reinforces what many of us in Arizona have known for years—that our southern border is not secure, that armed drug and human smugglers remain a grave threat, and that the federal government’s response to the situation has been totally inadequate.

The safety of our citizens must be a fulltime priority, not just something we focus upon after a tragedy. Our men and women in uniform face these dangers every day, and we owe it to them to address this issue once and for all. The federal government continues to drag its feet, so Arizona must step forward and do all it can.”