AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: The above video originally aired in January 2018.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) graduated four new K9 teams Friday.
The teams recently completed their nine-week training program. They will now join 45 other DPS Narcotic Detection Teams stationed throughout Texas, in addition to six explosive-detection teams within the Texas Highway Patrol Division.
“This is a great day for the Texas Department of Public Safety and the state of Texas as we welcome the four newest canine teams to our ranks,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “The canine teams who graduated today have endured rigorous and specialized training over the last nine weeks, and we’re proud of their hard work and look forward to seeing all they accomplish as they serve and protect Texas."
One of the K9s was obtained from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and three were acquired through donations. The breeds include three Labrador Retrievers and one Belgian Malinois.
All four K9s will be used for drug detection Fia will be stationed in Eagle Pass, Razor in Kingsville, Tayson in Alpine and Duke in El Paso.
Back in November, Texas DPS graduated five troopers and five canines after an eight-week training program. Four of those dogs were set to be used for drug detection and one was set to be used for explosive detection.
According to DPS, in 2018, DPS K9 teams assisted in the seizure of approximately 17,576 pounds of marijuana, 462 pounds of cocaine, 185 pounds of heroin, 456 pounds of methamphetamine, 566 pounds of hashish and $5.7 million in cash.
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