Southwest to get 1,000 more Border Patrol agents

[Ed Barrow]

Source: Arizona Republic

The Obama administration is seeking funding for 1,000 additional Border Patrol agents, 100 more Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigators and two unmanned Predator drones to help battle Mexican drug cartels along the Southwest border, the Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano initially was quoted as saying Wednesday that all 1,000 agents would be added to Border Patrol operations in Arizona. But a Homeland Security spokesman said Wednesday afternoon that the additional 1,000 agents, who must be approved by Congress, would be spread across the border. No breakdown of how many agents would be assigned to each sector was provided.

Nationwide, there are now more than 20,000 border patrol agents, most stationed at the Southwest border. Arizona currently has about 3,600 agents.

Napolitano said the Tucson sector needs additional help because it has become the favored corridor of drug smugglers, who shifted operations after security was tightened along the California and Texas borders.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/06/23/20100623arizona-more-border-agents.html