Steven Seagal Now Patrolling the Texas-Mexico Border

Action star-turned-lawman is looking to police the country's borders

By Josh Grossberg Oct 17, 2011 8:00 PMTags
Steven Seagal, LawmanA and E

Don't mess with Texas—especially since they've brought in Steven Seagal for backup.

The onetime action hero has been tapped to police the U.S.-Mexico border as a full-time deputy with the Hudspeth County Sheriff's Department deep in the heart of Texas.

So will Seagal's new gig be featured on his A&E reality series, Steven Seagal: Lawman?

Doesn't sound like it.

According to the San Antonio Express, the Above the Law star called the department two months ago to lobby for the job—and not because he was in search of new storylines. After being sworn in this week, he will now join a contingent of deputies patrolling 98 miles of border and 5,500 square miles on the lookout for illegal border crossings.

"It became very clear to me that Mr. Seagal is not in this for the celebrity or the publicity," Sheriff Arvin West told the paper. "He's like the rest of us that live down here; he has a sincere passion for his country and he wants to do more to help."

All in a day's work for the 59-year-old Seagal. When not making films, the actor has been moonlighting as a reserve peace officer for Jefferson Parish, Louisiana authorities—a job he's been doing for 20 years (he owns a second home in the area) and which is the subject of his reality television show.

Per Hudspeth officials, the actor and martial arts expert traveled to Sierra Blanca, Texas along the border where he was briefed on his duties and given a tour.

"We ran about 50 miles of the border and Deputy Seagal got a chance to meet the community and where he's going to be working," said department spokesman Gary Fleming, who stressed that Seagal's border activities won't be chronicled on Steven Seagal: Lawman

"The television aspect of what we're doing here is the last priority," the spokesman added. "The man has a pure motive in doing this. He knows what we're up against here and he wants to help."

He didn't star in The Patriot for nothin'.

The marial arts star will be given the fun-to-say title of "deputy chief to the chief deputy" and will start early next year. He will reportedly earn about $15 an hour for his efforts.

A rep for Seagal was unavailable for comment.

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