http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/57027.html

100 more Guardsmen headed to New Mexico border
(1 comments; last comment posted Today 10:52 am) print | email this story


By ASSOCIATED PRESS
February 15, 2007

DEMING, N.M. (AP) - Another 100 National Guardsmen will soon be stationed along the state's southern border with Mexico, according to a commander with Operation Jump Start.

Col. Richard Puglisi, commanding officer of a joint task force working with the U.S. Border Patrol in Deming, said Wednesday that the increase will bring Guard numbers close to 900 for the region.

Operation Jump Start began last summer as part of President Bush's plan to address border security.

The Guard plans to establish four more Entry Identification Team sites, and five Blackhawk helicopters are being assigned to help with the operation. The helicopters will be based at Las Cruces' airport.

Puglisi also said three ground-based radar units, each with a range of about 12 miles, will be introduced. One is already in the Lordsburg area.

Puglisi and Rick Moody, agent-in-charge of the Deming Border Patrol station, reported dramatic decreases _ as much as 60 percent _ in apprehensions after the arrival of the Guard.

Moody and others have said that's a result of the Guard's presence, more Border Patrol agents, new technology and infrastructure.

"We started with 95 (agents)," Moody said. "We are up to 240, with more agents in the academy. The target is 350 in a couple of years."

___

Information from: Las Cruces Sun-News, http://www.lcsun-news.com