Governor Brad Little has announced details of the latest Idaho State Police deployment he directed to support the State of Texas’ efforts to secure the border and improve Idaho’s ability to interdict illicit drugs to protect Idahoans.
The focus of the mission is two-fold – the ISP troopers will serve as a force multiplier for the State of Texas when there is an increased need for law enforcement along the U.S.-Mexico border, and Idaho troopers will receive on-the-job training and experience up-to-the-minute enforcement techniques that can be brought back and immediately applied in Idaho.
In addition, Governor Little will travel to Weslaco, Texas, just miles from the Texas-Mexico border, this week to receive a briefing from Texas Department of Public Safety officials and fly over hot spots for illegal border crossings. The head of ISP, Col. Ked Wills, will join Governor Little for the briefing and tour.
The ISP deployment follows through on a commitment Governor Little made during his State of the State and Budget Address in January.
Law enforcement reporting shows the supply of illicit fentanyl from Mexico in our region has become much more prevalent. The majority of officers surveyed reported that investigations involving fentanyl were directly tied to sources in Mexico. Approximately 96-percent of drug trafficking organizations investigated identified Mexico as the source country for drugs trafficked into the region.
From 2020 to 2021, the rate of fentanyl-related overdose deaths doubled in Idaho.
Two groups of six ISP troopers will deploy for two weeks each to assist and train with Texas Department of Public Safety officials. Both groups will enhance their knowledge through varied experiences, such as cross-border smuggling, human trafficking, and drug interdiction.
