BOISE, Idaho — In the coming weeks, Idaho state troopers will travel to the Texas-Mexico border, as part of a commitment to the southern border coming from more than a thousand miles away.
On January 26, Governor Brad Little announced two teams of Idaho State Police troopers would be deployed to help secure the nation's border.
The deployment is something Governor Little talked about and promised during his State of the State Address in January. This will be the third time that state police have been sent to the border since 2021.
KTVB sat down with Governor Little on Wednesday to talk about why he made the decision, and how a problem so far away still impacts the Gem State.
"The troopers that go down this time, they'll be working shoulder-to-shoulder with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) on recognizing what trafficking looks like at the border, and how it's going to look when it gets up here," Governor Little said.
Governor Little said those ISP troopers will also be a force multiplier to help the Texas DPS secure the border.
"That's why we're trying to help [Texas] Governor Abbott," Governor Little said. "And that's my biggest complaint about the [Biden] Administration, they're ceding control of the border to drug cartels."
Drug cartels that Governor Little said have been flooding the nation - and the Gem State - with dangerous drugs like fentanyl.
"My state police will tell you they are seeing firsthand the drug smuggling and how creative they are in their new techniques - both the trafficking, and the drug smuggling," Governor Little said. "It is orchestrated, it is run by the cartels. That's why when Governor Abbot asked for help, quite a few of the governors said, 'We'll help you.'"
Governor Little said the deployment isn't just about drugs coming from the border and he also wants to stop human trafficking.
"Because of our laws, because of our law enforcement in Idaho - the big-time traffickers say, 'Stay away from Idaho,' and we want to continue to have that reputation here in Idaho," Governor Little said. "The issue is a lot of the nationwide flow comes up the west coast and then cuts across. That's why we have so many busts in the Coeur d'Alene area, the interstate goes across there...So a lot of the issue nationally is the flow as it comes through Idaho."
The troopers will be deployed to Texas in the coming weeks. It is unknown exactly when, or how many troopers will be sent down - that number depends on ISP and how the deployment works into their rotations and resources.
Governor Little also plans on visiting the border and speaking with Governor Abbot.
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