Looks like the state of Texas is fooling with the drug cartels along the Texas/Mexico border, unlike the Obamanut’s administration, or I should say his “lack” of enforcing the law. Officers working along the border are stepping up efforts to respond to what is in effect a war going on south of the border, where drug cartel violence has spun out of control.
In TExas, both countries are separated by the Rio Grande so stopping the violence from spilling into the United States means taking to the water — with 34-foot-long gunboats that pack some serious firepower.
The stakes are very high, as since 2007, 56,000 people have been killed in the escalating drug cartel violence. The U.S. government and local police agencies are working around the clock, 365 days a year to try and stop the flow of drugs, weapons and illegal immigrants into America from our southern neighbor.
Our southern border of the US is roughly 2,000, and 1,200 of that is in Texas. But the terrain is quite different than the dry land in California, Arizona and New Mexico – Texas has the river. And the Rio Grande, which is a narrow winding river, is filled with illegal activity. The area is filled with smugglers, which is why the Texas Department of Public Safety has rolled out the big guns: Four new “shallow water interceptors” are now patrolling the river, and two others will be commissioned soon. Those will be responsible for guarding the intercoastal waterway, where cops are seeing a spike in smuggling activity through the Gulf of Mexico.
The gunboats are outfitted with bullet proof panels fully automatic machine guns and 900-horsepower engines. Their ability to cruise through the water at fast speeds is designed to not only serve as an intimidating force on the water, but also to fight back.
“If we get into an ambush situation, our No. 1 priority is to get out of harm’s way,” said Lt. Charlie Goble of the Texas Highway Patrol’s Tactical Marine Unit. “It’s very important for us to be better armed than they are.” Fox News
Bet you the Obamanut complains about how that money was spent next. These boats cost about $558,000 each, and were paid for with money set aside by the Texas Legislature and Department of Homeland Security grants. Law enforcement will use the boats along with helicopters, ground units and weapons being used to wage the war against these powerful cartels, which will stop at nothing to get their cargo into this country.
“Machine guns on the ground are one thing,” Maj. Bob Bailey of the Texas Highway Patrol’s Special Ops Division told Fox News. “This is just another asset to be in those remote areas where the cartels exploit our border, our river, our citizens.”
Rick Jankowski
/ 07/04/2012How fast will the 900 hp engines allow the 34 foot boat to go?
Janet
/ 07/07/2012Good to know they aren’t fooling with them and firing back.
Border Patrol: Agents fire shots after rock attack
The U.S. Border Patrol says agents opened fire along the Rio Grande after being pelted by rocks and having a gun pointed in their direction.
Fox News