One of our long-time residents, Joe Arpaio, has been accused by no lesser person than Marcelo Ebrard, Mexican secretary of foreign affairs, of killing Mexican citizens in Arizona and of supplying guns to our neighbors to the south.

I am astonished, first of all, that the local, state and national press have not done their due diligence of investigating this ludicrous assertion and condemned this statement outright. I hope to read an official account of this slanderous accusation in The Fountain Hills Times and on behalf of our former Maricopa County Sheriff of 24 years, who earlier had risked his life heading up the DEA in Mexico and fighting the drug cartels in Turkey, insisting on a public apology from this senior Mexican Official. It was no joke, but at that time during that chapter of his illustrious multiple-law enforcement careers, due to the dangers he faced, Joseph Arpaio was compared to a real-life James Bond.

What I also found unbelievable and atrocious was President Joseph Biden remained mute on the subject during and after his visit with the President of Mexico. It is also disappointing that all other officials in Washington and our two senators have ignored the subject. It is time for NSA Sullivan, Senator Sinema and others to come to the defense of a citizen of Arizona and the United States of America; an individual, Joe Arpaio, who has given a lifetime and a half to the service of his country in law enforcement and demand an official apology from Marcelo Ebrand, Mexican secretary of foreign affairs.

Gun smuggling and murder, really? Where is the backbone of our press and our politicians? It’s unacceptable and like so many instances over the last two years, it demonstrates again to the world the weakness of our country’s leaders.