Authorities refused to say if an agreement was reached to share evidence seized in April's raid on the FLDS Church's YFZ Ranch in Eldorado, Texas. At least 1,000 boxes of evidence were seized from the property — including photographs of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs kissing a 12-year-old girl in a manner that Texas child welfare authorities described as "how a husband kisses a wife."

Clad in a trademark white cowboy hat, a Texas Ranger who attended the meeting declined to speak about the meeting.

"I'm not at liberty to discuss much," he said.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has an ongoing criminal probe into allegations of abuse at the YFZ Ranch. It has been revealed that Texas authorities are investigating Jeffs' relationships with four girls, ages 12-15. Jeffs was convicted in Utah of rape as an accomplice for performing a marriage between a 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old cousin.

Beyond the marriages, authorities have conducted probes into financial crimes and child abuse. Those investigations have been stymied by a lack of hard evidence or witnesses willing to step forward.

Tolman, who has acknowledged conducting a mafia-style racketeering and corruption inquiry into the FLDS Church, said any probes may be jump-started by the evidence seized at the YFZ Ranch.

"I do think that opening the lines of communication with the states that are dealing with the FLDS, and some alleged criminal activity, has only the potential of helping out what our investigation is," Tolman said. "It depends what evidence they find in Texas and whether they can share that with us."

A Texas judge ordered 440 children removed from the property in April after a call about abuse prompted a raid by law enforcement and CPS. The children were recently returned after an appellate court and the Texas Supreme Court found the state acted improperly in removing all of the children.

Authorities are investigating if the original calls that prompted the raid were a hoax.

Beyond the FLDS Church, Shurtleff said they discussed other polygamous groups in the West.

"We did bring up the Kingstons because they have multistate operations as well," he said.

Goddard said Utah and Arizona have set the standard for state and local officials sharing information across borders to combat crimes within closed societies.

"The border isn't a sanctuary for illegal activity," he said.

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E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com