7-21-2014 - TEXAS STATE CAPITOL - Gov. Rick Perry today directed Texas Adjutant General John Nichols to immediately begin preparations for the deployment of up to 1,000 National Guard troops to the border. These troops will support the Texas Department of Public Safety's (DPS) ongoing law enforcement surge, Operation Strong Safety, which is focused on combating criminal activity in the region resulting from the federal government's failure to adequately secure the border.