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Border Security in Texas

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Border Security in Texas Border Security in Texas PRIMARY MESSAGE “In Texas we understand that there can be no Homeland Security without Border Security. As a state, we have taken unprecedented steps to secure our border and we have seen extraordinary results – upwards of 65% reductions in serious crime.” SECONDARY MESSAGE “Given the progress we have made on the border, it is critical not only to continue that effort but to expand our efforts to address a related emerging threat: transnational gangs. We know that the violence from transnational gangs such as the Mexican Mafia, Texas Syndicate, Barrio Azteca and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) are the most significant organized crime threat to our communities.” THE THREAT · In a post-9/11 America, winning the war on terror and securing the homeland is a vitally important mission. In Texas, this challenge takes the form of securing our border with Mexico. There can be no homeland security without border security. · Increased security along the Texas/Mexico border has forced the Gulf, Sinaloa, and Juarez Mexican Crime Cartels to use these gangs to smuggle drugs and humans into Texas. These gangs were already being used to commit murders and kidnappings on both sides of the Texas/Mexico border to support Cartel operations. · Armed to the teeth with weapons more suited to the battlefield—sniper rifles, grenade launchers, shoulder-fired rockets, machine guns and hand grenades—these crime cartels are a serious threat to our safety as they ferry their human cargo, drugs and other contraband into our state. · In addition to narco-traffickers and violent criminals, U.S. Intelligence tells us that terrorists and their supporters also consider the southern border a prime route into the heart of America. Since March 2006, more than 850 illegal aliens from terrorism- related countries, such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Iraq, Jordan and Yemen, have been arrested crossing the Texas-Mexico border. · Given the progress we have made on the border, it is critical not only to continue that effort but to expand our efforts to address a related emerging threat: transnational gangs. We know that the violence from transnational gangs such as the Mexican Mafia, Texas Syndicate, Barrio Azteca, Tango Blast and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) are the most significant organized crime threat to our communities · These Transnational Gangs operate in every region of the state and are also involved in extortion, retail drug distribution, vehicle theft, child prostitution, money laundering and drive-by shootings. 1 They recruit in our schools and in our prisons and have become highly adaptive, and they are using technology to thwart law enforcement efforts. TAKING ACTION GANGS In September, I laid out my gang initiative, which builds on the proven border security strategy of working with local law enforcement and increasing resources for surge operations, as well as providing resources for investigations and prosecutions. The initiative calls for a multi- jurisdictional gang strategy that includes: • Expanding the sharing of vital gang information at all levels of law enforcement across the state; • Centralizing gang intelligence; • Expanding effective local law enforcement gang operations in identified “hot spots”; • Increasing resources dedicated to multiagency criminal enterprise investigations targeting leadership of the most dangerous gangs; • Seeking enabling legislation to arm law enforcement with essential gang fighting tools; and • Expanding gang prevention efforts. I will ask the 2009 Legislature for continued funding for border security, which includes $110 million sustained border security funding as well as $24 million to combat transnational gang activity across the state. BORDER Enforcing the international border is clearly a federal responsibility, but border states and communities suffer the consequences of a weak security. Therefore, Texas has taken decisive action to protect the border and the American homeland. The Texas strategy is to employ an aggressive defense with four key areas of focus: - Increasing state funding and deployment of state resources for border security. - Increasing patrols and law enforcement presence; - Making better use of technology to fight border crime; - Centralizing command, control and intelligence operations; and 2 Surge operations we have put into play include: Operation Linebacker · Beginning in 2005, the governor’s office provided $9.8 million to the 16 sheriffs’ departments on the border to support Operation Linebacker – a plan to immediately increase local patrols in high-threat areas from Brownsville to El Paso. Operation Rio Grande · Based on the success of Operation Linebacker, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security decided to expand this border-wide effort, and launched Operation Rio Grande in February 2006. · Texas began centralizing coordination of local, state and federal law enforcement as well as Texas Military Forces elements to conduct massive surge operations along the entire length of the Texas/Mexico border. · Operation Rio Grande put more boots on the ground, more technology in the hands of local law enforcement, and, for the first time, allowed local, state and federal law enforcement to work together to combat border crime. The results of these surge operations were immediate and overwhelming: Phase Dates Counties Drop in all Crime Operation Del Rio June 2-22, ‘06 5 51-75% Operation Laredo July 7-21, ‘06 5 60-75% Operation El Paso Aug. 6-18, ‘06 4 TX, 1 NM 40-85% Operation Big Bend Aug. 16-30, ‘06 5 30-50% Operation Valley Star Sept. 7-26, ‘06 8 40-60% Operation Wrangler · Operation Wrangler, which began in January 2007, applied the lessons learned from Operations Linebacker and Rio Grande statewide. Recognizing that a porous border affects the entire state, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security expanded law enforcement surges into known drug and crime corridors that traverse Texas from Mexico. · The first phase of Operation Wrangler was an unprecedented statewide effort, utilizing over 6,000 personnel from over 200 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, supported by 35 maritime patrol assets, 45 helicopters and 33 fixed-wing aircraft. Operation Border Star · In September 2007, the governor’s office launched the latest border security initiative: Operation Border Star. Armed with $110 million authorized by the Texas Legislature, Operation Border Star began in high-threat areas, and has expanded to continuous high- intensity surge operations along the entire Texas/Mexico border. 3 · Utilizing the combined state resources of DPS Troopers, Texas Rangers, Texas Military Forces personnel, DPS helicopters, Parks & Wildlife Game Wardens and river assets, Texas Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Border Patrol and local police and sheriffs’ departments, Texas is disrupting smuggling operations, putting crime cartels on notice and increasing security along the border. · In response to the smuggling of stolen vehicles, weapons and bulk cash into Mexico by the Mexican Crime Cartels, Texas began paying local police officers overtime to conduct southbound inspections at the international bridges. TECHNOLOGY Leveraging technology is essential to success: · LiveScan is a fully-integrated electronic identification system with which a jurisdiction can capture fingerprints electronically and check them against state and national criminal databases. · Texas Data Exchange (TDEx) is a web-based secure information-sharing network that enables law enforcement agencies to share essential jail, prison and law enforcement data throughout the border region and state, eliminating the cracks through which too many criminals had slipped. · Radio interoperability is not only vital to disaster response, it is also essential for successfully integrated border-wide operations. · License Plate Readers enable law enforcement along the border to quickly identify stolen vehicles and known or suspected criminals. · Four new state-of-the-art DPS helicopters have been deployed to Del Rio, Alpine, Laredo and El Paso. All DPS helicopters have been equipped with the latest Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) and night vision goggles to fully operate at night in high-density smuggling areas. Pursuing: · Aerostat balloons combined with the Virtual Neighborhood Watch Program empowers landowners and the public to protect themselves and their neighbors with video surveillance technology. COORDINATION Texas established six Joint Operations Intelligence Centers to coordinate with federal, state and local law enforcement operations on the front lines. RESULTS · The effectiveness of our border security strategy is demonstrated by the 66% drop in illegal alien apprehensions since 2005, as fewer people are attempting the crossing because they know they will be caught. 4 · Since November 2005, there has been a 65% reduction in serious crime in 1,170 miles of unincorporated area along the Texas-Mexico border that crime cartels use to smuggle humans and drugs into Texas. These operations have also disrupted drug smuggling along the Texas-Mexico border, resulting in the higher price and lower purity of cocaine. Law enforcement in other parts of the country has reported that informants blame drug shortages on Texas border security operations. · Although progress has been made, we can never rest until the border has been secured from all threats. - END - 5.
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