Louisiana Gov Landry requests deployment of National Guard

Louisiana GOP Gov. Jeff Landry has asked  Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth deploy as many as 1,000 state National Guardsmen to help curb crime. 

“Since taking office, we have made real progress in driving down crime across Louisiana — but the job is far from finished,” Landry said Tuesday.

“Landry's request follows The Washington Post reporting that the Pentagon is drafting plans to send 1,000 National Guard troops to Louisiana. The Defense Department's plan would deploy Guardsmen to such cities as New Orleans and Baton Rouge through September 2026, the newspaper also reports.

The Pentagon's plan was drafted a week after President Trump suggested sending troops to New Orleans to combat crime.

Landry said the deployment would assist crime-fighting efforts across the state, noting the New Year's Day terror attack.

"The National Guard gives you a force multiplier," Landry said. "It's not about sending the military. President Trump knows there's way too much violence, too many people are already dying."

The Louisiana National Guard said the deployment is pending federal approval and that it has started to coordinate with local law enforcement in anticipation of the approval.