3 arrested after allegedly trespassing at border wall construction site in Arizona

Three people were arrested Monday afternoon after trespassing at a construction site along the border between the U.S. and Mexico, authorities said.

Deputies were called to a restricted construction area along the border, east of the Santa Cruz County and Cochise County line, around 12:42 p.m. for reports regarding multiple protesters trespassing, according to the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office.

Security for the site told the protesters they were not allowed to be there and asked them to leave, but they refused. They proceeded to make their way further into the construction site before accessing materials being used to build the border wall, allegedly putting themselves and others in danger.

Deputies arrested the individuals and booked them into Cochise County jail on disorderly conduct charges.

“The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office respects the right of individuals to peacefully protest and express their views. That right, however, does not extend to trespassing, damaging property, interfering with lawful operations or creating a safety hazard, and we take a zero-tolerance approach to these actions,” Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels said in a news release.

The sheriff’s office noted it is coordinating with federal authorities and construction personnel on activities around the restricted site.

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