Arizona ranchers along the southern border say a dramatic drop in illegal crossings since President Donald Trump returned to office has brought long-awaited relief after years of cartel activity, drug trafficking, and daily fear on their land, The Telegraph reported Sunday.

For Sue and Jim Chilton, fifth-generation cattle ranchers operating on 50,000 acres near the Arizona-Mexico border, the change has been profound.

Just last year, Sue Chilton, then 83, was home alone when four migrants bearing gang-style tattoos showed up at her door. Recognizing the markings, she refused to let them inside, instead preparing food for them to eat outdoors, she told The Telegraph.

Her husband later joked that she had "hosted MS-13 for lunch."

Their ranch, located in the Tucson sector, had become a favored corridor for smugglers exploiting rugged terrain and gaps in the border wall.

At the height of the crisis in early 2024, the sector became the busiest crossing point in the country, with more than 250,000 apprehensions in just four months.

At times, hundreds of migrants crossed the Chiltons’ property in a single day.

Many wore camouflage, used carpeted shoes to avoid detection, and carried backpacks filled with drugs, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, they told the outlet.

That has changed sharply under the Trump administration.

The Chiltons say encounters on their ranch are down roughly 90%, with just 155 migrants apprehended there recently — all of whom were sent back to Mexico.

"Thank you, President Trump," Jim Chilton said. "We’re no longer worried about running into groups with AK-47s. We feel safe riding our land again."

The danger had been real.

Ranch hands once discovered a decapitated body on the property.

In another incident, Border Patrol arrested smugglers carrying an assault rifle and 100 pounds of cocaine.

Chilton estimates illegal crossings cost him roughly $100,000 a year in repairs, lost cattle, and added security.

Chilton blamed the surge on Biden-era border policies, particularly the halting of wall construction.

He said cartels used migrants as decoys, overwhelming agents while drug smugglers slipped through remote ravines.

Border Patrol officials say enforcement changes have driven the decline.

Agents have increased patrols using drones, cameras, helicopters, horses, and all-terrain vehicles.

Most significantly, officials point to Trump’s reinstatement of tough consequences for illegal entry, including rapid deportation and long-term bans.

Despite their support for stricter enforcement, the Chiltons stress they are not anti-immigrant.

They employ Mexican workers and maintain water wells to help migrants suffering from heat exhaustion.

"Immigrants are wonderful," Chilton said. "They just need to come in legally."

While crossings have dropped sharply, ranchers say unfinished sections of the border wall remain vulnerable.

"What they’ve done is created a big f---ing funnel there for 26 1/2 miles," Tim Foley told The Telegraph. "That’s hanging wide f---ing open. Things are changing, but there’s always going to be people crossing."