06/17/11— The Department of National Security announced today that National Guard troops will remain at the U.S.-Mexican border at least until the end of September, saying that the troops will help to combat illegal immigration and the violence unleashed by drug trafficking. Matthew Chandler, the spokesman for the Department of National Security, stated that the “National Guard is providing support and management functions designed to curb the passage of people, drugs, weapons, and money in bulk.”
National Guard soldiers were initially deployed last summer . In August 2010, President Obama approved a $600 million dollar law intended to strengthen border security and hired “500,000 border patrol agents, customs inspectors, and enforcement officers.” Since the National Guard has been stationed at the border, it has helped to seize 14,000 tons of drugs and has detained 7,000 illegal immigrants. Despite the troops’ presence, some Mexican authorities continue to express their frustration with the U.S. government, saying that the United States is not doing enough to fulfill its part in combating the escalating drug violence, especially with regards to the flow of arms south into Mexico.
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