Iowa to deploy more soldiers, officers to southern border of Texas
DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is back in the state to start the week, after spending Sunday afternoon in Texas with 13 other governors.
Reynolds supported Texas Governor Greg Abbott when he started using state resources to detain immigrants who were crossing the border illegally. Iowa just had National Guard soldiers and Department Public of Safety officers deployed last month, and there is likely to be another in collaboration with Operation Lone Star.
“I’ve spoken with both the Adjutant General Osborn of the Iowa National Guard and Commissioner Bayens with the Department of Public Safety to start preparing for a return mission to the border,” said Reynolds. “I’ve also informed Governor Abbott that Iowa stands ready again to support Operation Lone Star. While the commitment has been made, the dates and the duties of the next mission have not yet been determined.”
The governor says this trip will once again be funded by federal funds through the American Rescue Plan Act. In August and September of last year, the missions were funded by $2.1 million of ARPA funds.
Reynolds did say she has had enough of the federal government and the Biden administration allowing it to get to this point; and not enforcing immigration law that is currently in place. She also voiced frustration for gridlock in the nation’s capitol and a lack of a solution so far from lawmakers.
“I think he should do his job, and if he won’t the states are going to step up and do it,” said Reynolds. “…both parties are guilty and not coming to the table, sitting down and having an adult conversation about what we do moving forward. But that’s going to be really hard to happen. And I don’t have a lot of confidence in, no disrespect to the people that serve out in Washington, D.C. I’m grateful for them, but listen, in this environment I don’t have a lot of confidence in really too much getting done. And you’re running into an election year. So I just, it’s going to be really hard to get anything done right now, to be honest.”
The governor cited the DPS Division of Narcotic and Narcotic enforcement for seizing 83,000 fentanyl tablets, 1,000 pounds of meth, 800 pounds of marijuana and 165 pounds of cocaine in 2023. Reynolds said 26 of the narcotic cases investigated in that year had a direct link to Mexican cartels.
She also referenced an incident taking place at the beginning of the month, where two men were arrested in rural Iowa and charged with conspiracy to commit theft in the first degree. One of those charged is believed to have crossed the southern border months ago. She said the DCI and FBI investigated and now believe the online scam was perpetrated by a Chinese criminal network operating out of New York and investigators say an estimated $30 million could have been collected by this network alone.
