No, video does not show tanks sent by Texas National Guard to Mexico border

By: Christian Haag
February 2 2024

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Video used to claim that the Texas National Guard has sent 10 tanks to the Texas-Mexico Border. (Source: X/Screenshot/Edited by Logically Facts)

Context

A video claiming to show 10 tanks en route to the Texas-Mexico Border, which were purportedly sent by the Texas National Guard. The claims have gone viral on X (formerly known as Twitter), as seen here and here, and have been uploaded on TikTok.

However, the claim is false, and the Texas National Guard has not deployed tanks at the Texas-Mexico border. The video in question features Bradley fighting vehicles crossing a road, most likely as part of a military training exercise in Georgia, but not Texas. 

Screenshot from the viral video. (Source: X/Screenshot/Edited by Logically Facts)

Not in Texas

To geolocate the location where the video was shot, we looked at several distinct features of the video; the flora does not match with that of South Texas, as the video features extensive coverage of pine trees; a Georgia license plate can be seen on the blue car, and to the right, one can see a "tank crossing" sign, indicating that it is an area with frequent military exercises.  

Details from the viral video indicate that the video
does not show tanks in Texas or en route to Texas.
(Source: X/Screenshot/Edited by Logically Facts)

Using reverse image search, Logically Facts could find other places where the video had been uploaded and discussed. On Reddit, several people pointed out issues with the videos, citing that they were shot near Fort Stewart or Fort Moore in Georgia. 

Logically Facts contacted the Texas Military Department, who stated that the Texas National Guard is not sending tanks to the border. They also pointed out that the vehicles seen in the video are not tanks but Bradley M2 or M3 fighting Vehicles and commented that "the terrain does not look like Texas at all. From my assessment, it looks like Fort Moore or Fort Stewart, Ga. training areas." 

Logically Facts also contacted Fort Moore, Fort Stewart, and the Georgia National Guard for confirmation of the location where the footage was shot.

It's worth noting a related but distinct incident where the Texas National Guard deployed Vietnam-era M113 armored personnel carriers in November 2022, which are not tanks. This event has also been fact-checked by Leadstories, reaching the same conclusion.

Escalating situation

The standoff at the Texas-Mexico border between the U.S. Federal Government and Texas Authorities has intensified, fueling a "take our border back" convoy led by far-right extremists. This group draws parallels between their movement and the American Revolution of 1776, hinting at an impending civil war. Amid these tensions, Logically Facts has debunked several other false claims, including misattributed footage of German farmers, a trucker convoy from 2022 en route to protest COVID-19 restrictions falsely linked to the current dispute, and claims that the U.S. Army has been deploying barricades around the White House since 2021. 

Verdict

The Texas Military Department's statement, along with a detailed analysis of the video, conclusively disproves the claim that the Texas National Guard dispatched tanks to the Texas-Mexico border. The evidence indicates the footage likely originates from an area near Fort Stewart or Fort Moore in Georgia. We have, therefore, marked the claim as false.