TribBlog: Perry Activates Border "Spillover" Plan

Gov. Rick Perry said he's activating the "first phase of the state’s spillover violence contingency plan" in the wake of increasing drug violence on the Texas-Mexico border. But the next sentence of the press release says he's not telling anyone what the plan is, for security reasons.

And yet Perry goes on to list "increases" in state existing border-security activities: increased surveillance by state and local law enforcement, the Texas Border Security Operations Center, and the Joint Operational and Intelligence Centers; increased ground, air and maritime patrol presence; increased intensity of day and night DPS helicopter patrol operations along the Rio Grande, and increased patrols by National Guard helicopters. Additional resources, like DPS SWAT Teams, Trooper Strike Teams and Ranger Recon Teams, are on standby, the release says.

"We will continue to closely monitor this situation, and take any necessary action to ensure the safety of our citizens and to protect continued legitimate cross-border trade and travel," Perry says. And, as with most of his border-security announcements, Perry takes the opportunity to bash Washington: "Until the federal government fulfills its responsibility of securing our border, Texas will continue filling in the gaps."