Tar Roof Thieves in Cochise County: An Immigrant’s Descent into Smuggling

On the outskirts of Douglas, Arizona, a sense of urgency hung in the spring air as the Cochise County hospital prepared for the impending summer rains. The annual repair of the roof was underway, with a dozen barrels of tar, melting pots, brushes, and ladders at the ready. The task, however, was not without its challenges. The high winds of spring had a way of revealing the weaknesses in even the sturdiest roofs, and the hospital’s paper roofs were no exception.