Phoenix – Former Congressman and Republican gubernatorial candidate Matt Salmon appeared this week on KAWC 88.9 FM in Yuma.

He spoke with Lisa Sturgis about a bold new initiative called Operation Copper Shield that Salmon released on Friday to secure the U.S.-Mexico border and defend Arizona's sovereignty. The initiative will deploy 1,200 armed National Guard troops and invest millions of dollars in county sheriffs, prosecutors, and other law enforcement officials in order to get the border crisis under control.

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You can read excerpts from the radio segment below:

LISA STURGIS:
"Republican gubernatorial candidate Matt Salmon came to Yuma on May 15th, to unveil his plans for stopping the flow of drugs and undocumented immigrants over Arizona's southern border. Operation Copper Shield combines multimillion-dollar investments in county law enforcement and state prosecutors with toughened state trespassing laws. It also sends 1,200 armed Arizona National Guard troops to secure the border."

MATT SALMON:
"The fact is that right now there's a lot of people coming across the border and a lot of drugs – fentanyl – coming across the border that are killing a lot of people in this country."

LISA STURGIS:
"Salmon also wants to see the county sheriffs' offices create Anti-Smuggling Units to zero-in on those bringing both drugs and people across the border into Arizona."