Texas Highway Patrol manning gunboats on Rio Grande
 

http://screen.yahoo.com/heavily-arme...-29828961.html

Right now there are four patrol boats with two more on the way. Each one is armed with six M-240 (they call it a .30 cal, in the military they are 7.62mm) machine guns.

'Bout time.:cheers:

7.62x58??? My Mosin nagant shoots that round. Machine gun? Holy fuck thats destruction power......

You mean 7.62x54R

NATO rounds, 7.62x51. Still wouldn't want one pointed at me. Or even in my general direction...

Random questions:

Who spends half a mill plus, on a 100K boat?

At what point in the river, is the international border?

Who taught the Highway Patrol how to drive a boat?

Why isn't the Coast Guard doing this?

Rules of engagement?

JC

The great state of Texas, that's who. According to the report, the boats are armored. I imagine that makes for an expensive boat, if you want it to keep floating. Maybe not :shrug:

The middle. Per the treaty. No shit.

By my definition it's where the diarrhea begins.

Maybe the Coast Guard?

They don't want to waste all that training?

Seriously, though, since when has the federal government been serious about border enforcement? We've had Border Patrol and FBI agents chased off by Mexican drug cartels because the cartels were better armed (i.e., had Mexican army support). This within US land borders. At any rate, to me this falls under Texas' jursdiction for drug enforcement operations within the state. The US border with Mexico along the Rio Grande is also the Texas state border.

Something tells me they have more latitude to fire their weapons than the National Guard "patrols" we've had along the border for the last few years.

That's some firepower. Remember the scene from Act of Valor when they cut loose with the mini guns?

I still need to see this movie. Friend bought it, so I need to borrow it.

Oh, yeah...

Hell no...

I suspect the "Armour", is some kevlar panels on the inside of the fiberglass hull. Likely more for the protection of the crew than the boat. The boat looked like a Boston Whaler (or a variant thereof). You could shoot holes in one of those all day long, (as long as they're above the water line) and you ain't sinking shit.

Drink the beer, not the water.

But you're right. It's in the middle. Maybe during a lull in the fire fight, the State Troopers can break out a tape measure...

I hope they got some kind of training from somebody besides an old VHS copy of Apocalypse Now.

And now we get down to the tacks of brass.

I'm not concerned about international incidents, hurt feelwings, or "the children". I'm concerned that some douche bag is going to say, "fuck your boat, I know a dude with a tank".

Go big or stay home.

JC