Governor Abbott announces creation of new American Governors’ Border Strike Force

AUSTIN, Texas -- Twenty-six Republican governors, led by Arizona's Doug Ducey and Texas's Greg Abbott, announced the creation of the American Governors' Border Strike Force.

In a news release, the Republican Governors Association describes the strike force as "a multi-state partnership designed to disrupt and dismantle the transnational criminal organizations taking advantage of the chaos Joe Biden has created along the border."

In the memorandum describing the strike force, the Governors say they can serve as a force multiplier to target cartels and criminal networks financially and operationally by partnering across state lines.

To read the memorandum click here.

The task force's creation follows Abbott's call for enhanced safety inspections in Texas to reduce migrant and drug smuggling across the border.

It's a move that dealt a "severe blow" to cross-border trade, according to David Coronado, the city of El Paso’s managing director of international bridges and economic development, but had little impact on immigration.