More than $1.5 million in additional federal money will help Cochise County fight border crime.

The county’s share is part of the $7.2 million in federal border-crime funds awarded to the state Tuesday.

It’s part of a $30 million boost to Operation Stonegarden, which helps state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies in the Southwest curb illegal border activities such as drug trafficking, said Mike Scioli of the U.S. Border Patrol in Tucson.

“We all face the same problem with drugs and criminals coming across the border,” he said. “Under Operation Stonegarden, we’re shouldering the problem as a team, as opposed to just one agency.”

The announcement comes nearly a week after Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever traveled to Washington to speak to federal officials about border issues at  a law enforcement meeting.

Most of the money for the sheriff’s office will pay for overtime expenses, spokeswoman Carol Capas said.

Nearly all the sheriff’s deputies have participated in Operation Stonegarden at some time, Capas said.

In the past, funds from the program also have paid for equipment such as long-range thermal cameras and electronic license plate readers, she said.

Other states receiving funds from the $30 million boost include Texas, New Mexico and California.

The $30 million will supplement the operation’s $60 million fiscal year budget announced in June.

Except for one year in which personnel shortages prevented it from doing so, the sheriff’s office has participated in Operation Stonegarden since its inception in 2004, Capas said.

Other Cochise County law enforcement agencies that participate in the program include the police departments of Huachuca City, Douglas, Bisbee, Benson, Willcox and Sierra Vista, as well as the Tombstone Marshal’s Office.