Peach Tree Times

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently released their operational statistics for the month of July. In light of the number of arrests at the southern border during the agency’s fiscal year so far, analysts have expressed concern about surpassing the two million mark for the first time ever. Illicit drug seizures such as fentanyl, have also dramatically increased during fiscal year 2022 to date. Republicans have blasted Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock as having an "awful" record on border security.

Thus far in Fiscal Year 2022, which runs October 01, 2021 through September 30, 2022, U.S. Border Patrol agents have made about 1,822,160 arrests at the southern border, according to the most recent data released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The current border arrest number already beats the record set last fiscal year, which was 1.66 million apprehensions in the year ending September 2021. With roughly two months left in the agency’s fiscal year, analysts predict full-year arrests will break the two-million mark for the first time ever, according to the Wall Street Journal.

"Border Patrol agents have made about 1.82 million arrests at the southern border in the government’s fiscal year that began in October, the second year under the Biden administration that arrests hit an all-time record," the Wall Street Journal wrote in an Aug. 15 Twitter post.

Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock's record on border security has been "awful," according to the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Records show he has voted against amendments to force President Joe Biden to restart border wall construction and by voting to confirm a "border crisis denier" to lead U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Additionally, in April 2021 Warnock voted against a bill that would direct $300 million for anti-narcotic and opioid activities carried out by CBP.

In total, there were 199,976 encounters along the southwest land border in July, representing a 4% decrease compared to June, according to a CBP July 2022 operational monthly update.

According to CBP nationwide total encounter data for FY22TD through July, fentanyl seizures have already increased 203% when compared to the previous fiscal year.

CBP operational data from January shows that since Biden entered office in January 2021, Border Patrol agents have made over 3.3 million arrests at the southern border.