Security on high alert for former President Donald Trump’s trip to southern Arizona

Aug 22, 2024, 7:09 AM | Updated: 8:15 am

Trump border trip in Cochise County set for Thursday...

Former President Donald Trump is set to visit Cochise County on Aug. 22, 2024. (File Photo by Nicholas KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)

(File Photo by Nicholas KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)

BY SERENA O'SULLIVAN

KTAR.com

PHOENIX — Security teams are on high alert ahead of former President Donald Trump’s visit to the Arizona-Mexico border on Thursday.

An Arizona man threatened him online ahead of the trip, according to Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels, who will accompany Trump on his trip.

“On social media, an individual put out, yesterday, a threat toward President Trump,” Dannels told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News ahead of Trump’s visit.

“Bottom line is: He’s also a registered sex offender in our area. He’s out of compliance. We’re looking for him to arrest him on that, but we still have to find him,” he added.

Authorities already had a multi-layer security team in place ahead of Trump’s visit, Dannels said.

“We’re on higher alert today when he comes here just because of him,” he added.

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, survived an assassination attempt while on the campaign trail on July 13. He held his first outdoor rally since the attack in North Carolina on Wednesday behind bulletproof glass.

An announcement from the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office said Trump would arrive at the private Sierra Vista airport at 10 a.m. before traveling about 15 miles south to the border via motorcade for a briefing.

He’ll then travel back to the airport and leave for other Arizona events, including a Friday rally in Glendale.

Cochise County sheriff looking forward to Trump border trip

When it comes to border-related crimes, enough is enough, Dannels said.

That’s why he is looking forward to sharing a reality of the U.S.-Mexico border with Trump.

“In as little as 31 months, we booked 3,762 people in our jail for border-related crimes,” Dannels said. “We’re not talking about immigration. We’re talking border crimes, double-digit murders, in over 30 months.”

Former President Donald Trump will tour the U.S.-Mexico border in Cochise County today. I’ll bring you the latest updates from his visit. @KTAR923 pic.twitter.com/WwrZAOFl2G

— Heidi Hommel (@heidi_hommel) August 22, 2024

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