Posted on 07/20/2014 9:06:01 PM PDT by bd476
Gov. Rick Perry to deploy 1,000 National Guard troops to RGV
Texas Gov. Rick Perry plans to announce he will activate the Texas National Guard at a news conference Monday in Austin, said state Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen.
Hinojosa did not have details of the effort, but an internal memo from another state official’s office said the governor planned to call about 1,000 Texas National Guard troops to the Rio Grande Valley — at a cost of about $12 million per month.
The memo was provided to The Monitor on the condition of anonymity because the information is not yet public.
Troops are expected to enter the area gradually, building up to 1,000 after about a month, the memo said.
The troops will join the Texas Department of Public Safety in its recent surge to combat human smuggling and drug trafficking amid the influx of mostly Central Americans illegally crossing the Rio Grande. Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, and Texas House Speaker Joe Straus announced the $1.3 million per week effort last month.
State leaders approved funding for extra DPS troopers to fill in gaps in Border Patrol coverage in the Valley as the federal authorities were overwhelmed with an influx of children and families from Central America. The state officials feared Mexican drug cartels might exploit the situation to move their own drugs and human contraband while Border Patrol attention was turned elsewhere.
Hinojosa said Perry's move smacked of political gamesmanship.
“All these politicians coming down to border, they don't care about solving the problem, they just want to make a political point,” he said.
State officials denied the move amounted to a militarization of the border.
“This is not a militarization of the border,” the memo states. “The DPS and the National Guard are working to keep any drug and human trafficking south of (U.S. Highway) 83 and with the goal of keeping any smuggling from entering major highways to transport East/West/and North.”
DPS officials want to send National Guard troops into western areas of the Valley and the ranch lands further north, according to the memo.
“Smuggling has supposedly according to DPS moved West on the border with an increase in Jim Hogg County," the memo states. "DPS especially wants to apply the Guard in the rural areas to patrol.”
The National Guard deployment — added to the DPS surge — will bring the price tag of troopers on the border to about $5 million per week, the memo said. And the funding source for the effort remains unclear.
“It is not clear where the money will come from in the budget,” the memo states, adding that Perry's office has said the money will come from “non critical” areas, such as health care or transportation.
Hinojosa said the National Guard was not equipped to aid immigrants crossing the Rio Grande.
“They (cartels) are taking advantage of the situation,” he said. “But our local law enforcement from the sheriff’s offices of the different counties to the different police departments are taking care of the situation. This is a civil matter, not a military matter. What we need is more resources to hire more deputies, hire more Border Patrol.
“These are young people, just families coming across. They're not armed. They're not carrying weapons.”
Thanks!
Isn’t it odd that 0 is importing so many 15 - 24 year old males?
“Have you considered the fact you might live to be 95?”
Yes I have, and I hope to live to that ripe old age and beyond. Running 20+ miles a week, I’m physically more fit than a lot of women out there HALF my age. Mentally — starting to droop a little.
My secretarial skills would have little value down there. I don’t own a gun, nor do I plan to. I like my life right now - it’s safe - at the moment. But I am increasingly feeling the need TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, as long as it doesn’t don’t get me arrested and thrown in the klink for the night.
I had the worst feeling of dread and doom, like a premonition, when I watched Obama’s 2009 inauguration. This whole situation scares me. Doing nothing about it scares me. 2.5 more years of this crazy shit is frightening.
My FR name should be 5catsandachicken.
Thanks for helping get the word out...
We’ll do what we can, brother.
Not odd at all...
The guys will have no loyalty to US Citizens or the US in general and would follow orders to fire on US Citizens, if so ordered.
Gonna buy another case of 5.56 and 7.62 at the Dulles Gun Show this weekend.
Buuuump!
People unwilling to deny re-nomination to Cornball, Lamar!, Lindsey Graham, and THad Enough are unlikely to do much of anything.
May be this country is so divided among the various nationalities that they have nothing to loose by just standing by, or voting for thier favorite handout rep....they can always return to their home nation....we have no place to go.
Too little, too late, Rick.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.