The U.S. military today plays a little-recognized role fighting the drug war in support of federal law enforcement agencies along the border with Mexico.

Joint Task Force North, or JTF North, is a U.S. joint service military command organized under U.S. Northern Command, or USNORTHCOM, based at Biggs Army Airfield in Fort Bliss, Texas.

'Our mission is to employ military capabilities to support law enforcement agencies and synchronization in the Northern Command's area of responsibility,' Brig. Gen. Anthony R. Ierardi, commander of JTN North, told WND. 'The purpose of all that is to deter and prevent what we describe as transnational threats to the homeland.' ...