- Texas Governor Greg Abbott is deploying National Guard troops in M113 armored personnel carrier to various positions along the border
- The news comes days after Abbott sent a letter to President Biden threatening to deploy gunboats and invoking a constitutional clause
- Abbott invoked Article I Section 10 of the Constitution which forbids states from military action ‘unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger’
- Affectionately known as the ‘battle taxi’ by troops in the Army, the M113 is bulletproof and can withstand small explosions
- The Texas Military Department said they ordered 10 of the vehicles and will train around 50 soldiers to operate them
- Last month there were 230,678 recorded encounters between undocumented migrants and Border Patrol officers
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is deploying National Guard troops in M113 armored personnel carrier to various positions along the border after earlier threatening to use gunboats in an attempt to quell the influx of migrants at the border.
The news comes after Abbott invoked a Constitutional clause on Wednesday warning President Joe Biden that the Lone Star state would go rogue to defend itself from what he calls a migrant ‘invasion’ at the southern border.
Texas Military Department officials ordered the 10 armored personnel carriers on Thursday and announced around 50 soldiers would be trained to operate them.
Armored personnel carriers are large, heavily armored vehicles that move on tracks like tanks but are designed to carry troops into battle alongside tanks.
Affectionately known as the ‘battle taxi’ by troops in the Army, the M113 is bulletproof and can withstand small explosions – the US recently sent 200 to Ukraine for the country’s fight against Russia.
It remains unclear if the armored personnel carriers sent to the border will have any weaponry attached, but the vehicle can equip heavy machine guns and grenade launchers.
