Written by Nicholas Vetrisek
Governor Gavin Newsom is keeping 100 National Guard troops at the border for another six months in order to stop the smuggling of harmful pesticides that are being found at 85 percent of illegal marijuana sites.
Though Newsom is sending the troops to help the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Counter Terrorism Operations Center, he is still completely refusing to help the federal government stop the immigration crisis.
The mission of the National Guard soldiers is now to stop drug trafficking and other criminal activities on the border. According to Newsom, since February, more than $170 million worth of drugs has been seized, so this seems to be working.
Along with stopping the trafficking of drugs, Newsom’s intent in sending the National Guard is to also stop the transport of illegal pesticides used in unlicensed marijuana operations. These pesticides can kill animals that consume it even in incredibly small doses, thus posing as a large threat to the environment.
Newsom has claimed that the National Guard task force has intercepted 180 pounds of the pesticides used for illegal marijuana plants. Catching pesticides is all well and good, but perhaps the National Guard would be serving a greater purpose defending the border from people trying to illegally enter the country. Just a thought, Gavin.
