Gov. Abbott Deploys Texas Military to Join U.S. Border Patrol

Some 400 additional soldiers, as well as C-130 aircraft and Chinook helicopters, departed from military bases in Fort Worth and Houston after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the state’s Tactical Border Force to deploy to the Rio Grande Valley to coordinate with the U.S. Border Patrol in securing the border with Mexico, the Governor’s Office announced in a statement on Monday.

The forces are joining up with thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers already deployed to secure the border in collaboration with U.S. Border Patrol agents.

“Texas has a partner in the White House we can work with to secure the Texas-Mexico border,” Abbott said in the statement. “To support that mission, today, I deployed the Texas Tactical Border Force, comprised of hundreds of troops, to work side by side with U.S. Border Patrol agents to stop illegal immigrants from entering our country and to enforce immigration laws.”