
The request came last week during a hearing of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense.
At the hearing, Udall told General Frank Grass, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, that he has serious concerns about the impacts of transnational drug trafficking in the rugged, remote Bootheel region of New Mexico, and he pressed for additional resources to increase border security.
Udall said Border Patrol officers have told him they actually need more horses to patrol the area, and he believes the National Guard’s assets and expertise can be force multipliers to help the Border Patrol cover more territory.
Grass said he is open to working toward more adequately addressing the fluid threat along the border, particularly given the recent rise in heroin abuse.