Sheriff Mark Dannels said Tuesday that renewed federal and state support, including military personnel and increased state funding, is restoring Border Patrol and local law enforcement capacity along Cochise County's southern boundary.

Dannels, speaking on KWCD's First Watch, said the presence of military personnel at the border should be understood as a support role and that recent policy reversals and funding increases will allow federal and local agencies to reengage in pursuits and interdiction work. "They're back engaged," he said, referring to Border Patrol agents returning to a previously suspended pursuit policy.

Dannels tied the operational changes to funding. He said the state had increased a line item from about $12.3 million to $17.3 million last year and that the governor has proposed raising it toward $24 million. He also said a separate bill for $50 million had been introduced for enhanced border security and cited a $1.9 million contract his office received for incarceration and interdiction costs. "That's what pays for these interdictions and being us being out there," he said.

The sheriff said he will travel to Washington, D.C., soon to discuss border operations and partnerships with federal officials and that he is asking state leaders, including the governor and attorney general, to meet quarterly with Arizona sheriffs to coordinate operations and funding. Dannels emphasized the county's interest in being a partner with federal authorities and said the county has asked for timely reimbursement for costs it has incurred.

Dannels described immigration enforcement steps he said were already in effect, including expedited removals at ports of entry. He also cited an operational shift he described as necessary after Border Patrol's prior limits on pursuits put pressure on local deputies.

The sheriff framed the renewed engagement as rooted in public safety and national security. "Bottom line is, there's no hidden agenda. I can assure the people on that," he said on the radio program.

No statutory citations or formal federal mission statements were offered on-air; Dannels referred generally to federal, state and local partnerships. He said he would raise specifics when meeting with federal leaders in Washington.

Local officials and listeners may want more detail on how the funds will be allocated across staffing, equipment and detention costs and on any operational memoranda that define the military's role in Cochise County. Dannels said he expects additional details to emerge during his forthcoming meetings in D.C.

Ending: Dannels said the county will continue to pursue funding and coordination with state and federal partners and that he supports operational cooperation so federal and local agents can resume roles he said had been constrained in recent years.