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TUCSON - It is a matter of time before there is an armed conflict between Pinal County deputies and drug smugglers is a prediction coming from Sheriff Paul Babeu who says he is expecting a clash soon.

Sheriff Babeu started a task force a few months ago to stop scouts and drug and human cartels who are posing a danger to his residents.

He said it is working but the borders are still not secure.

He believes within a matter of months guns will be drawn.

"Bottom line this is going to end and we are not tolerating this any further," said Babeu.

He is letting drug and human cartels know they are not welcome in Pinal County.

Babeu is determined to put a stop to what he says are the most violent criminals.

"We are not going on farms we are not going into government buildings looking for illegal immigrants or workers without proper ID. I am going directly after the armed threat from cartels," he said.

Babeu said bandits pose as police in order to steal from cartels and immigrants which adds an extra danger for deputies in the field.

"They have very clear orders to go and confront these people we are not just responding to emergency calls we're going out there and searching for this criminal activity that's coming through our county and we're telling them they are not going to do this anymore," said Babeu.

"When you hit them as hard as the sheriff's been hitting them taking their money taking their drugs stopping their operation trying to put them out of business they're going to react to it," said Pinal Country resident Wayne Larroque.

Babeu has given his swat members clear orders if they come across these criminals.

"We are going to have a heavy hand of enforcement against them and if people point their weapons at us in the desert in this area I told my deputies there had better be rounds going down range to neutralize that threat," said Babeu.

He said with double the scouts there were 6 months ago the sheriff's office needs to push cartels out of the county.

"When we've arrived at this point where these people think they can come 70 miles north of the border and behave like this those days can't continue because bad things will be in our future if we allow that to progress," said Babeu.

Since starting the task force the Pinal County Sheriff's Department has bought new weapons including 130 semi automatic rifles and 50 pairs of night goggles.