Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the Sunshine State is sending additional resources to assist Texas in stopping the invasion at the southern border.
The Florida Republican is deploying members of the Florida National Guard and the Florida State Guard, which is in addition to the current officers from the Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
“States have every right to defend their sovereignty and we are pleased to increase our support to Texas as the Lone Star State works to stop the invasion across the border,” DeSantis said. “Our reinforcements will help Texas to add additional barriers, including razor wire along the border. We don’t have a country if we don’t have a border.”
Approximately 1,000 members of the Florida National Guard will head to Texas to assist Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star.
“This is not a new mission for us. For several years we have supported border security missions in Texas, to include both federal and state deployments,” said Major General John D. Haas, The Adjutant General of Florida. “Last spring the Florida National Guard was one of the first in the nation to deploy rotations of soldiers to support Operation Lone Star in Texas, and we have proudly and readily supported our own state’s efforts in similar roles here in Florida.”
Since 2021, Florida has provided direct law enforcement and military assistance to Texas, including FLNG, which supported the Texas Military Department through mission sets including static observation points, roving patrols and engineer assistance with obstacle improvement. FHP has made contact with nearly 150,000 illegal aliens, conducted over 27,000 traffic stops, resulting in 2,102 Human Smuggling or Human Trafficking charges with 2,278 overall arrests.
FDLE has sent rotations of officers to assist the Texas Department of Public Safety with arrests of violent felony suspects including gang members. Suspects were arrested on various Texas state charges including human smuggling, burglary, firearms, smuggling of persons, smuggling of persons with a firearm, child endangerment, escape from federal custody and possession of controlled substance. FWC has deployed a total of 540 FWC personnel, 525 four-wheel drive patrol trucks and 24 vessels.
DeSantis's announcement comes as illegal border crossings are hitting record numbers. Border Patrol encounters with illegal immigrants totaled 302,034, breaking a previous all-time high of 269,735 from September.
Governor Ron DeSantis Sends Additional Support to Help Texas Fortify the Border https://t.co/1Kgn5akRl7
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) February 1, 2024
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