Today, as part of Operation Guardian Support, CBP officials at ports of entry along the California border with Mexico welcomed 24 California National Guard personnel.
Operation Guardian Support (OGS) includes the deployment of National Guard troops to the Port of San Diego, and the San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, Tecate, and Calexico ports of entry. They will fill vital, non-enforcement roles such as operational and surveillance support.
National Guard members will assist CBP officers in the movement of conveyances to inspections areas and facilitate the movement of vehicles, allowing more officers to focus on front line duties.
Up to an additional 106 National Guard members may deploy to the ports of entry in the coming weeks.
The vast majority of CBP drug interdictions, including opioids, occur along the southwest land border from all environments and transportation modes. The support of the National Guard will enable CBP to increase its multi-layered approach to border security and allow CBP officers to focus on law enforcement efforts of securing the border against all threats – drugs, weapons, illegal aliens, and possible terrorists.
“The contribution of the National Guard will undoubtedly improve our effectiveness at the ports of entry by enabling those officers to focus on enforcement activities,” said Pete Flores, CBP Director of field operations for San Diego. “We look forward to working collaboratively to further our national security mission.”
