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National Guard Troops beef up border security
Posted: 07.19.2010 at 10:56 PM
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Over one thousand National Guard Troops are headed to the U.S./Mexico border.

It's all part of preventing the spill over of violence and tackling illegal immigration.

The violence in Mexico continues, less than 24 hours ago a shoot out between two groups left one person dead in the south side of Monterrey.

Over the weekend, a massacre at a party in the northern Mexico city of Torreon.

Witnesses say a gunman opened fire, killing 17 party goers and wounding at least 18 others. 

To curb the violence from making it's way into the U.S.  National Guard Troops have ordered in. 

Congressman Henry Cuellar tells Action 4 News, "So what we want to make sure is that by having the Border Patrol, the other federal agencies, the local folks and now the National Guard, effective August 1st, that will prevent the spill over of that violence from coming up."

Here's a look at the break down. Arizona will have 524 members of the National Guard, Texas ranks in second with 250; California will receive 224 National Guard members and New Mexico, 72.

But not everyone is happy with the numbers, in fact Action 4 News obtained a letter Governor Rick Perry  wrote to President Obama about the number of National Guard troops being deployed to Texas saying quote its "grossly inefficient.

Perry says the 1,254 miles of border Texas shares with Mexico accounts for 64 percent of the entire U.S.  Mexico boundary, sending 20 percent of these much needed assets to Texas is unfair and inadequate.

We asked Congressman Cuellar about the troop disbursement.

Cuellar says, "I think the violence or the more serious area has been over there in Arizona and that's what the plan was, was to sent it where they are seeing more activity."

Cuellar also adds, some of the troops designated to New Mexico will help in El Paso.

Last Thursday, a massive car bomb explosion killed three people including a police officer on the streets of Juarez just across the border from El Paso.

So far more than 25-thousand people have been slain in drug violence across Mexico.

We've learned National Guard troops are expected along the border for a year, with 210 members stationed in the Rio Grande Valley.

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