Posted on 02/10/2012 7:58:31 AM PST by harpu
The latest addition to the Texas Highway Patrol fleet won’t actually be patrolling any highways. But it will be prowling the Texas-Mexico border.
It’s not a “vehicle,” really – it’s a vessel: a 34-foot powerboat. And it’s armed to the teeth.
The boat has six 30-caliber machine guns divided among four firing positions. And its defense is just as aggressive as its offense.
“This front area here will be lined with bulletproof glass,” said state trooper Erik Burse as he gave FOX 26 News the grand tour. “The panels that we have on the side here will be bulletproof shields.”
The craft is the first of six new boats outfitting the newly-created Marine Unit of the Texas Highway Patrol.
The boats will be stationed throughout south Texas, along the Rio Grand. They’re aimed at stopping drugs and violence.
Case in point: Falcon Lake, where an American tourist was recently murdered by narco-traffickers.
“It's an area that the Zeta drug cartels are notorious for bringing drugs into the United States across that lake at night,” explained Texas congressman Ted Poe.
Poe tapped his finger on a photo of the tactical speedboat. “This will help stem the tide of the Zetas coming into the US,” he added.
As a Texan, I’m mighty happy to see this!
Texans just doing the work that the federal government won’t do.
Too bad they couldnt find a Vietnam era PBR. Twin 50s and a few M60s would be good.
I think it also used Kevlar and had Jacuzzi engines.
Down here on the Texas coast the INS has a boat with 4 350hp outboards on it. Sweet.
Think we could convince the Navy to get some of John Kerry’s riverine patrol boats out of mothballs and put them on the Rio Grande? Oh, never mind, that’s right, we can’t even get The Won to build a fake fence to protect the border. So I guess the Texas DPS has to get into the PT boat business.
}:-)4
I want one!
“Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”
Just more cops thinking they are military and wasting taxpayers money while violating taxpayer civil rights.
Has there been ONE single incident that Texas needed a gun boat???
I guess a 20MM Gatlin Style whiz bang was too expensive and heavy for the boat.
I hope there is upper hull shielding and some grenade launchers as well.
Nice digs.
Ron Paul and Alex Jones...deeply saddened..
You'll need to get a fishing license first. Otherwise you would could get fined by the Parks Dept.
Nice boat your State has there.
Several. Where have you been?
Texas is trying to police it's own boarders. But they have no means of doing so when faced with the prosepect of being outran and out gunned. The cartels have little deterant.
Police don't usually stop crime but they can work to prevent it or deter it.
Drones with Hellfires would be more efficient
It’s not a large navy yet, but is a start.
God bless Texas.
It’s not a large navy yet, but is a start.
God bless Texas.
Ping.
They are working on that.
A few hellfire strikes on cartel activity on the Mexico side of the boarder would be an effective deterent as well. I'm all for that.
Then we would get into Illegals wanting to announce, "I'm just an illegal immigrant, not a drug smuggler, don't shoot."
Nice boat, but if history is any teacher the Zetas are not going to be intimidated by that.
I would not want to be on the puppy when they run into the Zeta boat that has 20 mike-mike.
Or a twin 40 Bofors.
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