Governor sending 224 Nat'l Guard troops to border

By Michael Gardner, U-T SACRAMENTO BUREAU
Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 8:17 p.m.

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Friday will order 224 California National Guard troops the border with Mexico, fulfilling an earlier commitment to President Barack Obama.

In May, Obama launched a plan to deploy 1,200 National Guard troops to the southwest border, alarmed by a tide of smuggled drugs and immigrants and pummeled politically over illegal immigration.

Schwarzenegger earlier pledged California’s full cooperation with federal initiatives to secure the border and attack the narcotics trade.

“This is just the beginning,â€