Gov. Brewer asks for more border troops

Mar. 11, 2009 05:36 PM
Associated Press

Gov. Jan Brewer has asked the federal government to send more National Guard troops to Arizona's border with Mexico to assist in anti-drug efforts and other duties.

In a letter Wednesday to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the governor requested an additional 250 National Guard members. Currently, 150 troops are at the Arizona-Mexico border.

Brewer spokesman Paul Senseman says the request was prompted by a combination of Arizona's long-standing problems from immigrant and drug smuggling and rising violence in Mexico's war with drug cartels.

Brewer noted Arizona has to swallow huge costs related to immigrant and drug smuggling from Mexico and that law enforcement agencies are stretched thin to confront it.

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