ND to deploy National Guard to southern border

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) -Today, Governor Doug Burgum announced the state of North Dakota is deploying about 100 members of the North Dakota National Guard to Texas in efforts to secure the U.S. and Mexico border in support of operation Lone Star.

Texas governor, Greg Abbott, wrote a letter asking for states to send available resources in the midst of the border crisis.

In the announcement today governor Doug Burgum says the National Guard members will be deployed this fall and is expected to last about 30 days. It’s part of the Governor’s emergency authority, based on the risk to public safety due to drug trafficking and human trafficking.

After the deployment, North Dakota will continue to communicate with Texas to determine if more resources are needed. There are currently about 125 members from the North Dakota National Guard at the southern border. They followed 125 members who returned in September of 2022 after assisting U.S. Customs and Border Protection for about a year.

Members from the Jamestown base will deploy another 125 soldiers in October for about a year.

Governor Burgum also says North Dakota law enforcement agencies participated in a joint detail back in August of 2022 where they seized more than 50 pounds of illegal drugs, including enough fentanyl to potentially kill every North Dakotan more than twice over.

Copyright 2023 KVLY. All rights reserved.