EAGLE PASS, Texas — Texas Army National Guard soldiers conducted aerial deployment exercises along the U.S. bank of the Rio Grande Wednesday. The soldiers arrived and deployed via heavy lift helicopters to a recently erected makeshift border wall fashioned from recycled shipping containers. The drills are conducted as part of Operation Lone Star.
The soldiers could be seen disembarking from several CH-47 helicopters and moving toward the border behind the makeshift wall. Black Hawk helicopters also flew overhead. The Black Hawks are designed to provide fire suppression when supporting ground troops.
With Mexico in the backdrop, the riot gear-equipped soldiers formed line and wedge formations and moved strategically behind the barriers.
Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers can be seen fortifying the border wall with patrol vehicles.
The soldiers installed razor wire along the river’s edge to further prevent migrants from gaining access to the downtown area, a popular crossing point.
The drills are conducted in anticipation of migrant caravans forming in Mexico. Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Lieutenant Chris Olivarez told Breitbart Texas his department is monitoring the progress of one such caravan.
Operation Lone Star has been in effect since March and involves the initial deployment of more than 1,000 highway patrolmen and National Guard. More than 2,500 Texas Army National Guard soldiers are dedicated to the effort. The latest deployments augment that total.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.
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