National Guard troops arrive at Laredo Sector Border Patrol

Operation Guardian Support brought 180 U.S. National Guard troops to the Laredo Sector Border Patrol on Tuesday to serve as pilots, aerial observers, intelligence analysts, communication specialists, camera operators, mechanics and additional non-enforcement roles.

Additional National Guard troops will be dispatched to the Laredo Sector Border Patrol in the coming weeks under an April 4 memo issued by President Donald Trump. The troops will fill support roles to allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents to focus on enforcement and situational awareness of potential threats along the southern border.

Jason Owens, the acting chief patrol agent at Laredo Sector Border Patrol, welcomed the troops, stating that they will play a “critical support role” in securing the border. National Guard troops were also deployed to the southern border in 2006 under Operation Jump Start and in 2010 under Operation Phalanx.

The president’s April 4 memo also called for additional measures to be taken to slow or stop completely the influx of lethal substances and gang members and other criminals as well as the threat of excessive illegal immigration into the country.

“The secretary of defense and the secretary of homeland security, in coordination with the attorney general, are directed to determine what other resources and actions are necessary to protect our southern border, including federal law enforcement and United States military resources,” the memo stated.