The Constant Presence of Drug Trafficking in the O'odham Reservation

I wanted to share this very recent article (posted on from the Arizonan news website Tucson.com on March 1st and updated on March 3rd). When researching for my final paper proposal, I came across "11 Arrested on Suspicion of Supplying Drug Smugglers on O'odham Land" by Curt Prendergast from the Arizona Daily Star.  Here is the link: http://tucson.com/news/local/border/arrested-on-suspicion-of-supplying-drug-smugglers-on-o-odham/article_f66937a9-0f39-5718-8daf-da60497456d8.html

Drug trafficking has greatly influenced contemporary life on the Tohono O'odham Reservation. The desert and mountainous terrain make for an ideal landscape for smuggling marijuana and other illegal substances across the border and on towards Phoenix.

This news article shows some Tohono O'odham people participating in the trafficking process and ultimately getting caught. A number of the defendants are Tohono O'odham and U.S. citizens. They are facing charges of conspiracy to distribute marijuana because they actively facilitated the drug trade by providing supplies to scouts who hide in the mountains and desert and give directions to smugglers regarding how to avoid authorities.

This instance is just one of many that illustrates how drug trafficking has disrupted life on the reservation. Perhaps Tohono O'odham people would not become involved with the drug trafficking industry if they had better employment options? What can the Tohono O'odham people or the U.S. federal authorities do to combat the trafficking?