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Texas Governor Boosts National Guard Presence on Mexican Border - Military Dept.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Governor Greg Abbott is boosting the number of Texas National Guard stationed on the US southern border to more than 1,000, the state's Military Department said in a press release on Tuesday.
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"Abbott announced his commitment of additional National Guard troops to the Texas-Mexico border in support of the Trump Administration's call to enhance security along the US border," the release said.

The governor said the increase will push the number of Texas state military personnel at the border to more than 1,000, according to the release.

"The addition of National Guard on the border has proven to have a meaningful impact to reduce the flow of people and illegal activities coming across the border," Abbott was quoted as saying in the release.

READ MORE: US Starts Constructing Wall on Border With Mexico

On Monday, the US state of Arizona increased its National Guard presence on the southern border to 338 troops. The Arizona national guard said the troop deployment would help US federal border agents by providing air support and reconnaissance capabilities to counter criminal cross-border trafficking in drugs, humans, and arms.

READ MORE: Arizona Deploying 225 National Guard Troops to US Border With Mexico

Last week, US President Donald Trump announced the federal government would ask Governors from border states to deploy between 2,000 and 4,000 National Guard troops to the US-Mexico border to support border patrol agents.

READ MORE: US Sent National Guard to Mexican Border Amid Upsurge Crossings — Trump's Aide

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