Members of the Tohono O'odham Nation are being caught in the crosshairs of drug and immigrant smuggling across the U.S.-Mexico border.

An estimated 1,500 people use the reservation to cross into the U.S. every day. They leave about six tons of trash behind, said chairwoman Vivian Juan-Saunders.

The tribe spends about 10 percent of its budget dealing with border issues, plus $5 million in health and other funding to deal with the drug trade and migrant crossings. "We are being squeezed," Juan-Saunders told The Washington Post.

The U.S. Border Patrol and the National Guard have beefed up their presence on the reservation. But tribal members say they are often harassed by agents in their pursuit of illegals and drug traffickers.

The all-Native Shadow Wolves used to patrol the reservation but have been diverted to other activities due the war on terror. Some of the senior agents have quit.

Get the Story:
As Border Crackdown Intensifies, A Tribe Is Caught in the Crossfire (The Washington Post 9/15)
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