HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte announced today he has directed the Montana National Guard (MTNG) to begin coordination with Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the State of Texas to identify their needs to address the national security crisis and secure the southern border.
“National security is the number one responsibility of the federal government, and President Joe Biden has left Americans and our country completely vulnerable with his failure to address the cartel-fueled surge in illegal immigration and drugs,” Gov. Gianforte said. “While Biden refuses to do his job and enforce the immigration laws already on the books, the State of Montana will identify meaningful ways to support Governor Abbott and Texas in their efforts to secure the southern border.”
The governor’s directive to Major General J. Peter Hronek, the Adjutant General for Montana, comes in response to the threat posed to every state by the surge in illegal immigration and following a request from Texas Governor Greg Abbott for assistance.
The announcement today allows MTNG leadership to work with Texas to identify ways the State of Montana can support Texas in its response, including identifying volunteers for a potential support mission.
“The soldiers and airmen of the Montana National Guard are always ready to respond to requests for support from our fellow states,” said Maj. Gen. Hronek. “In recent years we have provided support outside our state in response to hurricanes, flooding, and fires. We will immediately begin looking for ways to support Texas in their ongoing border mission.”
According to the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Rocky Mountain Field Division, more than 3 million fentanyl pills were seized in 2023, a 78 percent year-over-year increase, in the region that includes Colorado, Utah, Montana, and Wyoming.
In response to the flood of deadly drugs into Montana communities, Gov. Gianforte last year took action to crack down on traffickers, signing into law increased penalties for drug trafficking, including the trafficking of fentanyl, and imposing a mandatory minimum sentence of two years of jail time, a $50,000 fine, or both, for anyone convicted of trafficking fentanyl in the state of Montana.
Today’s directive comes on the heels of several steps taken by the governor in response to the Biden administration’s failure to secure the border:
In September 2023, Gov. Gianforte led a group of 25 governors to demand answers from the President on who is entering the country illegally and where they are relocating. The governors have yet to receive a response.
In May 2023, Gov. Gianforte joined the American Governors’ Border Strike Force, a collaborative effort established among 26 states to secure the border. Among other focuses, the strike force is working to improve coordination and communication to combat the trafficking of illegal drugs.
Last spring, Gov. Gianforte increased penalties for drug trafficking, including the trafficking of fentanyl, and increased penalties for human trafficking. Since 2019, Montana has experienced an 11,000 percent increase in fentanyl seizures. Since 2015, the Montana Department of Justice has tracked an 871 percent increase in human trafficking cases in Montana.
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