The Border Patrol has named a new chief for the so-called Yuma Sector, and he was a defense witness in the 2017 misdemeanor contempt trial of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Chris Clem used to run the Border Patrol’s station in Casa Grande. Clem testified in Arpaio’s contempt trial that he had little contact with Sheriff’s Office leaders. And he did not know about a court order barring Arpaio from doing immigration sweeps.
Clem was most recently the Border Patrol’s acting assigned chief in the Big Bend Sector in Texas. He’s also held posts in New Mexico and Washington, D.C.
Now Clem has been chosen to lead hundreds of agents assigned to the Yuma area. They keep watch over nearly 130 miles of international border in Arizona and California.
Clem replaces the former Yuma sector chief who retired.
