I want to give you breaking news.
I mentioned earlier that the Texas
Legislature provided this state
$5.1 billion to secure the border.
I also told you we always look to
employ whatever strategies will be
effective in securing the border.
Under Colonel Mccraw and General Seltzer,
they came together to employ.
This strategy,
this is a new water based barrier
of buoys that you can see what it
will look like in the river where
we can put mile after mile after
mile of these buoys to to go back.
What we're doing right now,
we're securing the border at the
border where these buoys will allow
us to do is to prevent people
from even getting to the border.
This is what they look like up close.
This is what they will look like
from the sky from a longer strand.
And that process is beginning
pretty much immediately.
Along those lines,
I'm going to have Colonel Mccraw
speak and and then General
Seltzer before I take questions.
But Colonel Mccraw can provide
you more information about the
deployment of these buoys.
Thank you,
Governor.
Well, first I'd like to say that,
you know, 90 years ago.
Public Enemy number one for the gangsters,
They're Pretty Boy Floyd,
John Dillinger, The Brady Group,
Bonnie and Clyde.
Today, Public Enemy number
one are the Mexican cartels,
the most powerful and ruthless and violent
criminal organization in the world right now.
The impact every community
in Texas as governor,
as you know and you've said number
of kinds and every community in the
United States and other governors
know why they send resources here
to help support your operations.
You made it very clear in the beginning,
you know operation detect and interdict
transitional criminal activity
between the ports of entry because
Border Patrol was taken off the line.
And we've done that working with Texas,
North Korea forces and our other
partners and at the local level,
but able to interdict crime.
But you've been also very clear about
being proactive, what can we do?
We'll hold the line operations
and we've been doing those.
And as the general can tell you
and those worked obviously because
nobody needs to be coming between
the ports of entry, it's dangerous.
Family units that come across the
river between the ports that are
in entry are risking themselves
and their family members to put
themselves in harm's way.
And the only one that benefits
the only one is enabled,
enriched and empowered of
the Mexican cartels.
When that happens and clearly you know
a a strategy in terms of securing
the border from the Mexican cartels
and and the at the ports of entry
and between the ports of entry
matters in terms of the impact.
What you see here is just another iteration,
another tool.
The razor wire has provided a
mobile capability.
Using the resources and and
expertise the Texas military.
They can deploy it quickly right at
the river to deter them from even
risking themselves coming across.
This is another iteration in terms
where the buoy is on the water itself,
can be quickly deployed and and
can be moved both.
All of these are mobile and then
the and this idea.
I'd like to tell you that the
general and I thought about it
because we're brilliant Governor,
but unfortunately that's not the case.
The general is brilliant.
I'm not so much.
But the bottom line is board
patrol is already working on this.
This is something that board
patrol had had already looked at,
designed and even tested.
Vortec had tested it.
They've worked through this type of system.
So and they looked at the risk
mitigation because it's not about risking.
We don't want anybody to get hurt.
In fact,
we want to prevent people from getting hurt,
prevent people from drowning.
And this is a proactive way and
we're about to deploy the 1st 1000
feet of it in Eagle Pass because
right now the center of gravity
we're smuggling is Maverick County
in the Eagle Pass area.
And we don't want people
to come across and continue
to put their themselves at risk when they
go between the ports of entry. That's my
thank you very much also at the head of
the effort to turn back or deny access.
By illegal immigrants into the
state of Texas has been the National
Guard led by General Seltzer. Thank
you, Governor. I just want to say
Texas is extremely fortunate to
have a governor who is absolutely
relentless in his actions to
protect the state's sovereignty,
secure our border and preserve
the rule of law in Texas.
At the beginning of this session,
he made an emergency action
item to secure the border.
The legislators behind me heeded
that call and my agency applauds
them for all their tireless efforts
Throughout the last few months.
They passed comprehensive laws that
we've seen that will enable a whole
of government approach to securing
the border between Texas and Mexico.
Additionally,
as has already been said,
they've secured $5.1 billion so that we can
continue this effort into the next biennium.
So I applaud all of you.
Additionally, Texas is no longer
Ground Zero for this crisis.
Texas is a stronghold.
This is exemplified by 11 states sending
their national Guards to the Texas
border to help protect the nation.
So thank you, Governor,
for your leadership.
Thank you to the legislature for
your leadership and we'll continue
to move on into the future.
Thank you.