Texas Guard General: Border Drills Are ‘Show of Force Opportunity’ Ahead of Title 42 End

EAGLE PASS, Texas — Texas Army National Guard soldiers along with Highway Patrol converged on the busiest section of the U.S.-Mexico border in preparation for an even greater wave of migrants once the CDC Title 42 authority ends. More than 100 soldiers and troopers conducted initial drills ahead of the next surge.

According to Customs and Border Protection, on most days in April, points around Eagle Pass are leading the nation in migrant crossings. The Del Rio Sector apprehended more than 3,200 over the previous weekend. According to the agency, groups of more than 100 have been apprehended crossing through the area.

In May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will terminate the Title 42 COVID-19 emergency order that has allowed for swift return of some migrants to Mexico and their home country. The planned termination has the agency and other authorities scrambling to prepare for what is officially presumed to be the largest mass migration event along the southwest border.

Breitbart Texas/Randy Clark

The exercise conducted on Thursday involved Texas Highway Patrol drone teams, all-terrain vehicle units, and Texas National Guard. On Wednesday, Governor Greg Abbott ordered the mass migration response drills in preparation for a predicted surge of up to 500,000 migrants crossing the border during the first month of the Title 42 sunset.

Breitbart Texas/Randy Clark

Brigadier General Monie R. Ulis, the Assistant Adjutant General for the Army National Guard in Austin, told Breitbart the drills were “a show of force, but more importantly, it’s our opportunity to prepare, and to be trained and ready should the need arise.”

Breitbart Texas/Randy Clark

As the first drill evolved, soldiers in tactical riot gear assumed positions along the Rio Grande. Texas Highway Patrol troopers moved marked vehicles into positions along the riverbank as aerial drone platforms flew overhead. The drills, according to a spokesperson for the Texas Military Department, will take place frequently through May.

Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol.  Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.

Southwest Border Mass Irreg… by BreitbartTexas

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