Rick Perry Deploys Rangers to Protect Texas!

[majormadmax]

Say what you want about the man, he has the cojones to stand up and use what assets he has at his disposal to keep the great state of Texas safe despite, the Federal government's lack of concern over the issue!

State obscures elite Texas Rangers' border work

McALLEN, Texas – Gov. Rick Perry has told just about anyone who will listen about his plan to dispatch elite teams of Texas Rangers to the border to do what he says the federal government won't — keep Texans safe from encroaching Mexican drug violence.

Just don't ask him for specifics.

While the Ranger Recon initiative has served as a strong rhetorical counterpoint when Perry slams the federal government, details about what the taxpayer-funded teams actually accomplish remain a secret.

State officials insist they do not tally arrests or drug and property seizures under the program, which they say doesn't have its own budget after more than a year in operation. They say the Ranger Recon teams are paid out of the state's larger border security initiative, but decline to put a dollar figure on the program's costs. Nor will they say how many of the state's 144 Rangers, the top criminal investigators in Texas, participate or where the teams have been active.

The Department of Public Safety, which oversees the program, said in response to an Associated Press public records request that the Rangers do no investigative work as part of the teams, but have engaged in about 10 "missions."

Reports on the missions, however, are kept under wraps to preserve "operational security," said public safety director Steve McCraw. He also said the program doesn't want to brag.

"Have there been arrests made? Yes," McCraw said. "Have there been drug seizures? Yes. Have there been vehicle seizures? Yes."

But asked for data on just those points, McCraw said, "That's not how we measure them." The department has asked the state Attorney General's office for permission to reject a subsequent AP request for the mission reports.

Asked whether taxpayers might feel unsettled about secret operations by a state law enforcement agency, McCraw replied: "The only ones who should feel unsettled are the (Mexican drug) cartels."

Perry would prefer not to commit state resources to border security, said spokeswoman Katherine Cesinger.

"We wish the feds would do their job and secure the border," she said.

The governor hammered the White House this month for not sending enough National Guard troops and Border Patrol agents to Texas. When President Barack Obama signed $600 million in funding for more agents, unmanned drones and customs officers this month, Perry said, "It's a good step in the right direction. Is it enough? I don't think so."

Perry announced the Ranger Recon program in the midst of his re-election primary campaign last September, two months after the program launched. The legislature had allocated about $230 million for border security during its last two sessions, he said.

"Landowners all along our border are finding their farms and ranches overrun by smuggling operations, often by armed individuals with no respect for property, the law or human life," Perry said during a speech in Houston. "By introducing Ranger Recon teams that can stay on the move, we can stay one jump ahead of the cartels and beat them at their own game."

Perry has since mentioned the Ranger Recon program in speeches to big city police chiefs, first responders, Latino peace officers groups and statements addressing border security.

Since its inception, "approximately 10 (Ranger Recon Team) missions, including training exercises and real-life undertakings, have been conducted as part of Operation Border Star," DPS wrote in response to the AP's public records request.

Pressed for an example of a Ranger Recon success, McCraw grabbed the most recent mission report and read that in one day, a team arrested 22 people and seized 1,739 pounds of marijuana. He offered no other details.

A law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss Ranger Recon activities, agreed to describe one incident along the Rio Grande in June. A Ranger Recon Team staked out a section of Starr County riverbank with Border Patrol. Scouts came first, followed by two rafts carrying marijuana. Men loaded the drugs into a vehicle, but the driver turned back as authorities converged.

The smugglers threw mud, a gas can and finally a Molotov cocktail that bounced off a Ranger's leg without exploding, the official said. They escaped back to Mexico.

Capt. Hank Whitman, deputy assistant director of the Rangers, would only confirm the incident occurred. He said the Ranger teams have yet to use deadly force on a mission.

The lack of transparency has left the program vulnerable to criticism that it's a political ploy.

"The Ranger Recon Team is consistent with the Rick Perry record of grandstanding, not measurable success," said state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, an El Paso Democrat and member of the Texas Senate's homeland security committee. The state's failure to provide statistics on the Ranger teams' activities "is one more attempt to hide what's going on," he said.

Shapleigh and Monica Weisberg-Stewart, chairwoman of the Texas Border Coalition's immigration and border security committee, compared the Ranger program to Perry's state-funded network of border cameras that civilians can monitor online.

Perry had given $5 million in federal grants to a border sheriffs organization to set up the cameras. Only a fraction of those planned were installed and the program failed to meet its original goals.

When you say, "show me what the programs have done, you can't find it," Weisberg-Stewart said. "We need to know tax dollars are being spent in the proper manner."

Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino, a Democrat who works on the border, said that after a year "I can honestly say I don't know what (the Ranger teams) worked on."

"We have yet to be invited on an operation or to hear that they've been successful in interdicting immigrant or drug loads," Trevino said.

But Terrell County Sheriff Clint McDonald, a Democrat who has endorsed Perry for re-election, said he's a believer. McDonald polices some of the state's most rugged terrain in a border county with nearly double the number of square miles — 2,300 — to people — 1,200. Ranger Recon teams trained there and public safety officials educated him about their work, he said.

"I had my doubts at first, but I think it's going to be a great operation," he said.

Asked if he could describe the Rangers' impact, McDonald said, "not in terms of numbers you can put on a piece of paper."

I seriously doubt the mayor of a sanctuary city would be so bold!

Anyone who doesn't vote for Perry in November is clueless and probably voted for Obama!

Cheers! M2

 

[TexasR.N.]

Election year antics. I won't vote for the guy running against Perry, especially after hearing him on a talk radio interview. Just wish we had another option.

On a side note........God Bless the Texas Rangers!

Craig

 

[kyletxria1911a1]

one riot one ranger

 

[Clockwork]

Hot diggity dog!

 

[Fisherman777]

one riot one ranger

That's right! Yippie Yie Yayeee, Cow Patty!

 

[Willy]

Election year antics. I won't vote for the guy running against Perry, especially after hearing him on a talk radio interview. Just wish we had another option.

On a side note........God Bless the Texas Rangers!

Craig

Quoted for truth. Unfortunately.

 

[majormadmax]

Election year antics. I won't vote for the guy running against Perry, especially after hearing him on a talk radio interview. Just wish we had another option.

On a side note........God Bless the Texas Rangers!

Craig

Sorry sunshine, I gotta disagree. Maybe folks are too accustomed to the Federal government's "all show, no go;" but I would not chalk this up as an election antic. There is a definite need to better protect Texas' borders and Perry's taking action. Most politicians would steer clear of such a controversial issue, especially considering this state's large Hispanic population; but Perry's not sitting around talking...he's doing something about the problem!

While no politician's perfect, Perry has done will running this state and I for one am proud of him! Most limp dick politicians these days are too busy trying to appeal to their constituents, our governor is talking issues head on and not being shy about it. Honestly, this is a good indication of what he'll do after he's re-elected (which I am sure will happen), and I hope he takes this up a few notches even further!

 

[MR Redneck]

All the feds do is screw with Americans!
Send the Rangers in. I know for a fact that they dont sit around doing nothin. Them boys git r done!!!

 

[skinman]

Perry is a loud-mouthed jerk and an embarrassment to Texas...he is a very good argument for keeping the power of the governor limited to just being a mouthpiece.

 

[MR Redneck]

Perry is a loud-mouthed jerk and an embarrassment to Texas...he is a very good argument for keeping the power of the governor limited to just being a mouthpiece.

Good Lord!!!! The Obama Zombie stikes again!
Read the damn topic you Troll.. This aint no Perry Bashing thread! This thread is about Texas Borders and the effort Perry is making to secure them.
Im not too happy with Perry myself, but im a whole lott more disappointed with legislature!!
Perry is actually doing what the POS Obama administration should be doing!
I give Perry two thumbs up on this one///////

 

[skinman]

Oh, I get it...if someone don't swallow the right's propaganda and actually think for themselves, then they are liberals who obviously support Obama...moderates don't exists...obviously no room for disagreement in the smokey world of the myopic right.

 

[MR Redneck]

Oh, I get it...if someone don't swallow the right's propaganda and actually think for themselves, then they are liberals who obviously support Obama...moderates don't exists...obviously no room for disagreement in the smokey world of the myopic right.

You just ran Perry down because he's making an effort to keep the border violence out of Texas. You said his powers should be limited to being a mouth piece!
In other wors, you want to depend on what the Federal government is planning to do , that would only amount to nothing!

 

[TexasR.N.]

Sorry sunshine, I gotta disagree. Maybe folks are too accustomed to the Federal government's "all show, no go;" but I would not chalk this up as an election antic. There is a definite need to better protect Texas' borders and Perry's taking action. Most politicians would steer clear of such a controversial issue, especially considering this state's large Hispanic population; but Perry's not sitting around talking...he's doing something about the problem!

While no politician's perfect, Perry has done will running this state and I for one am proud of him! Most limp dick politicians these days are too busy trying to appeal to their constituents, our governor is talking issues head on and not being shy about it. Honestly, this is a good indication of what he'll do after he's re-elected (which I am sure will happen), and I hope he takes this up a few notches even further!

Disagree all you want pumpkin.

Craig

 

[kyletxria1911a1]

man we gotta start doing something this us gettin outta hand

 

[skinman]

You just ran Perry down because he's making an effort to keep the border violence out of Texas. You said his powers should be limited to being a mouth piece!
In other wors, you want to depend on what the Federal government is planning to do , that would only amount to nothing!

I ran perry down because he is a political moron and Texas can do better.

 

[Vance]

I ran perry down because he is a political moron and Texas can do better.

+2

Sorry guys, I'm sure you're thinking " oh boy .. it's those two dems again " but really, exactly what good has Perry actually done ?

Y'all talk about (meaning bitch) how Obama is running up the countries debt, yet I haven't seen anything from y'all about how Perry is renting out a mansion with $10k a month of our tax dollars!

I also remember last year when Perry was gonna sic the Texas Rangers onto that wild border frontier, yet nothing was ever heard about it a short time later.

Honestly, the only time Perry even attempts to take action about any issue, is when an election is coming up. The rest of the time he is out of the state, on our dime, hob-nobing.

 

[texas skeeter]

Texas can do better.

i agree with you on this. but i sure hope you're not referring to Bill White!!

 

[texas skeeter]

+2

but really, exactly what good has Perry actually done ?

I can tell you this from personal experience, there is ONLY a handful of states that actually have a somewhat good economy in these bad times no matter who created them!! with Texas being near the top. i moved here from the F-CKED UP state of CRAZIFORNIA 3-1/2 yrs ago and DAMN GLAD I DID!!! I've made more $$$$ here since then than the previous 5 yrs before moving!! so if you think there is a better GVNR than Perry there probably is, BUT at least UNDER HIS REIGN, this state is doing WAAAAAAAAAy better than most and why and go and F-CK up a good thing????? last but not least for ALL THE LIBTERDS reading this, out of the 6 or 7 states at or near Bankruptcy, how many are ran by the "MAJORITY" Democraps??? ALL OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOT 1 BROKE A$$ STATE IS RUN BY ANY MAJORITY OF REPUBLICANS!!!!!!!!!!!! so for the REST OF MY LIFE, i will OPPOSE ANY AND ALL DEMOSH-T/LIBF-CK CANDIDATES cause ive seen them FIRST HAND RUIN MY HOME STATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! do you want to see that happen here????????????

 

[SiscoKid]

The skin said...

Perry is a loud-mouthed jerk and an embarrassment to Texas...he is a very good argument for keeping the power of the governor limited to just being a mouthpiece.

Right. We need White in there, to use the same sanctuary city tactics all over Texas that he used to "clean up" Houston.

 

[M. Sage]

I ran perry down because he is a political moron and Texas can do better.

Not this election cycle it can't...