The U.S. Border Patrol has announced that it will continue working with the Department of Defense for at least one more year.
STATEMENT BY DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS MATT CHANDLER ON CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN DHS AND DOD IN STRENGTHENING SOUTHWEST BORDER SECURITY:
"The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense (DoD) today announced a one-year extension of our critical partnership to support the historic and unprecedented levels of personnel, technology, and infrastructure along the Southwest border—underscoring this Administration's ongoing commitment to secure the border and facilitate legitimate trade and travel. In addition to DHS civilian law enforcement assets, including a record number of U.S. Border Patrol agents, now in place, the DoD mission at the border will continue with the National Guard providing up to 300 personnel and a number of multi-purpose aerial assets equipped with the latest detection and monitoring capabilities. Since March 2012, DoD's support has resulted in nearly 20,000 apprehensions and the seizure of over 100,000 lbs of marijuana along the Southwest Border by DHS personnel. The National Guard's aerial support, which includes both rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, significantly enhances our ability to detect and deter illegal activity at the border, and provides greater support to the thousands of DHS men and women on the frontlines of border security. We also continue to work closely with our other federal, state, local, tribal, territorial and Mexican partners to keep our communities safe."