Texas Military Department Seeks State Funding For Border Security Effort

A Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) boat patrols along the Rio Grande on March 23, 2021 near Mission, Texas. Texas DPS troopers are taking part in Operation Lone Star in supporting U.S. Border Patrol agents to "deny Mexican Cartels and other smugglers the ability to move drugs and people into Texas." (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

Photo: Getty Images

The Texas Military Department's chief is looking for more funding to carry out its border security mission. Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer told the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday that he'll need nearly 460-million-dollars to keep thousands of active-duty troops on the border through the end of this fiscal year. He asked for nearly two-billion dollars to keep the Texas National Guard on the border for the next two-year budget cycle, starting September 1st. Gov. Greg Abbott kicked off the border mission called Operation Lone Star in March 2021.