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Operation Linebacker underway
Wednesday, May 03, 2006 Posted: 07:51 PM
NEWSCHANNEL 5 shows you how new money is being spent in Cameron County

BROWNSVILLE – The Cameron County Sheriff admits suspected terrorists are crossing our borders and he hopes Operation Linebacker helps them crack down.

Sheriff’s deputies are now patrolling near the Rio Grande in areas that used to be handled only by the Border Patrol. It’s part of Operation Linebacker that has counties along the border trying to shore up holes in Homeland Security.

Sheriff Omar Lucio said, “We need to increase our personnel. We need to really secure our border before they get into the middle of the United States.” Lucio calls Operation Linebacker a second line of defense on the border.

Hidalgo County is also part of the plan. Sheriff Lupe Trevino and his deputies are working hand in hand with the Border Patrol.

Sheriff Trevino said, “They'll be able to disseminate intelligence to us to tell us who is coming, who is going, what time of day and what route they are taking.”

The sheriff departments are hiring more deputies and buying more patrol cars. They will upgrade equipment and spend new government money on things like night-vision binoculars.

The Border Sheriff’s Coalition has handed out more than $1,000,000 to Valley departments for Operation Linebacker.