I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
Gov. Bill Richardson and the other three governors who serve in states that border Mexico sent a letter (pdf) to congressional leaders Wednesday, urging them to “fully fund the National Guard Counter-Drug Program to add additional personnel to the four southwest border states and ensure that his funding remains sufficient to reach a significant decline in border drug trafficking and violence.”
Richardson, the only Democrat border-governor since Janet Napolitano resigned her position as Arizona governor to become head of the Department of Homeland Security, joined Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA), Janice Brewer (R-AZ) and Rick Perry (R-TX) in sending the letter to U.S. House and Senate leaders.
“The support our National Guard offers federal authorities along the border is critical to stemming the flow of drugs in and weapons out,” Richardson said. “As the violence associated with drug and weapons trafficking continues to intensify, it is clear that we need additional manpower.”
So what sort of support does New Mexico get from the National Guard troops patrolling the border? From the press release:
The 109 New Mexico National Guard Counter-Drug personnel conduct air surveillance operations with three helicopters, provide the eyes to monitor remote border cameras and assist in monitoring bypass routes around main highway Customs and Border Patrol checkpoints.
The letter says that the governors “are fully confident that the flow of illegal drugs and associated violence can be best addressed by increasing the capacity of Counter-Drug Program.”
The letter says that the National Guardsman “are not employed in any form of combat or maneuver role.” In other words, the governors say, the troops are not engaged in any military behavior.
And it isn’t just along the borders either, according to the governors.
Increasing the number of National Guard personnel to support these southwestern border law enforcement agencies is a priority, but we also need to maintain, and in some areas increase, the support to local law enforcement throughout the rest of our states where cross-border drug trafficking organizations are known to exist. Currently, there is more demand for support from local, state and federal authorities than our National Guard programs can actually meet.
