‘A Gun at Every Door’: Border Rancher Sees 2,400 Percent Increase in Illegal Aliens on Property

Arizona rancher says Border Patrol only catches around 30 percent—on a good day

Rancher John Ladd on his property that abuts the U.S.–Mexico border near Naco in Cochise County, Ariz., on Dec. 8, 2021. Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times

COCHISE COUNTY, Arizona—Ranching and smuggling are respectively the primary legitimate and illegitimate economic drivers in Cochise County, Arizona.

Much to John Ladd’s frustration, the two industries intersect on his ranch, which is sandwiched between the U.S.–Mexico border and Highway 92, a convenient smuggling pick-up road.