U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released new information regarding the 2011 fiscal year statistics.
U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions decreased according to the numbers.
There were about 340,000 illegal immigrants arrested. That is one fifth less than the previous fiscal year. Apprehensions are down by more than 50 percent since 2008. Of those arrested, almost 90,000 were wanted by the FBI for criminal charges and convictions.
The state of Arizona had more apprehensions for the 2011 fiscal year than Texas and New Mexico combined.
The Grand Canyon state leads all border states in the southwest with almost 130,000 apprehensions.
CBP officers and agents seized almost five million pounds of narcotics; that is a 20 percent increase from the previous fiscal year.
In Arizona alone, there were more than one million pounds of drugs seized.
