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- By Elyse Wild
Shadow Wolves are members of the Tohono O’odham Nation who patrol the 76-mile stretch of land that the Tohono O’odham Nation shares with Mexico. They are known for their ability to track drug smugglers as they attempt to smuggle illegal commodities across Tribal land, thanks to their unique geographical and cultural knowledge.
The Shadow Wolves Improvement Act was re-introduced by Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and John Hoeven (R-ND). It would reclassify Shadow Wolves agents as competitive service employees, giving them greater career mobility, improving retention, and making it easier to recruit new agents.
The bipartisan bill passed through committee unanimously last September but ran out of time to pass the Senate. The bill is also cosponsored by Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and James Lankford (R-OK).
Despite their critical role in border security, Shadow Wolves still lack the same career opportunities as other Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents. The bill aims to ensure they receive equal career mobility and compensation by allowing ICE to convert Shadow Wolves from the excepted to the competitive service after three years of service. It also codifies recommendations from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to enhance and expand the program.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, between 2010-2020, the Shadow Wolf’s efforts resulted in 437 drug and immigration arrests, along with the seizure of more than 117,264 pounds of drugs, 45 weapons, 251 vehicles, and $847,928 in U.S. currency.
Chairman of the Tohono O’odham Nation Verlon Jose spoke out in favor of the bill.
“The Shadow Wolves are an elite, all-Native American tracking and investigative unit with decades of experience in protecting the Tohono O’odham reservation and our border. Their unique skill set and deep knowledge of the land are invaluable to law enforcement in the area. The Tohono O’odham Nation strongly supports the Shadow Wolves Improvement Act to give our Shadow Wolves agents the support they deserve and preserve the Nation’s role in protecting our land,” Jose said in a press release.
The U.S.-Mexico border has been a political lightning rod as the nation contends with an overdose crisis characterized by the proliferation of highly lethal synthetic opioid fentanyl in the drug supply. In 2024, according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, 22,000 kilos of fentanyl was seized by law enforcement — nearly all of which was at the southwest border.
The overdose crisis has hit tribal nations particularly hard, as Native Americans bear the highest overdose rates of all ethnic groups. Advocates say the disproportionate rates of overdoses are the culmination of myriad issues, including generational trauma, lack of federal support for accessible healthcare and addiction treatment, underfunded public safety, and jurisdictional confusion.
“Public Safety, particularly drug and human trafficking, continue to be a priority for Indian Country,” Jamie Azure, Chairman of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians said in a statement. “These issues are uniquely difficult for tribal communities, like the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, who are located along the U.S. border. The Shadow Wolves Improvement Act is an additional tool within the law enforcement toolbox that will help.”
The Shadow Wolves, along with multiple other law enforcement agencies, had a hand in an operation that led to the dismantling of a component of the Sinaloa Cartel — a transnational drug trafficking syndicate that has been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. government — that exploited the U.S.-Mexico border within the Tohono O’odham Nation.
The Shadow Wolves Improvement Act is just the most recent bill aimed at the tactical patrol unit. In 2022, Congress passed Public Law 117-113 to reclassify Shadow Wolves from tactical officers to special agents, allowing them broader investigative powers.
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