National Guard to remain on border

Written by Elizabeth Aguilera
4 p.m., Dec. 9, 2011
Updated 8:33 p.m.

Plans for 1,200 National Guard troops stationed along the U.S.-Mexico border to leave by year’s end are on hold.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, said Friday that the soldiers — including 260 in the San Diego sector — will stay through Feb. 29. Defense Department officials said discussions are ongoing and a final decision has not been made. An official announcement could come as soon as next week.

With congressional and White House approval, the troops arrived on the border in August 2010 for what was to be a one-year mission in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Since then, the partnership has been extended twice and the overall bill has reached $180 million.

Hunter said the total number of soldiers in Operation Phalanx would drop by half in March, and that the remaining contingent would be reapportioned across California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. In California, the team would be reduced to 14 criminal analysts. Hunter said he was briefed by the highest ranking California National Guard officer,

In the past year and half, the Guard members — who all volunteered for the job — have worked alongside Border Patrol agents.

A handful of them are criminal analysts serving on special task forces, said National Guard Maj. Kimberly Holman.

Most of the others patrol hilltops and desert positions, armed with night vision goggles and extremely powerful binoculars. They alert Border Patrol colleagues, who number 2,600 in the San Diego sector, whenever they spot border crossers or other suspicious activity. Guard members are not authorized to detain or arrest people, based on various treaties.

“The National Guard acts as a force multiplier, allowing Border Patrol to go out to different sites,â€