Missouri
Gov. Mike Parson to send Missouri National Guard, highway patrol to secure Mexico border
Gov. Mike Parson plans to send as many as 200 Missouri National Guard members and 22 Missouri State High Patrol troopers to support Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star mission.
Launched in March 2021, Operation Lone Star is a Texas initiative aimed at preventing illegal immigration at the nation’s southern border. Parson, who visited the border at Eagle Pass, Texas on Feb. 4, submitted a $2.3 million supplemental budget request to fund the operation.
“The crisis at the Southern Border is fueling the fentanyl crisis here in our state,” Parson said in a statement. “Missourians are dying; families are being ripped apart; communities are being destroyed, and Missouri children are falling victim. It all stems from the Biden Administration’s reckless, irresponsible, and failing open-border policies. With our Southern Border wide open, every state is now a border state.”
Through the recently issued Executive Order 24-03, Missouri’s National Guard troops will be dispersed on a rotating basis of about 30 days. The mission begins on March 10, with the primary objective for these troopers being the construction of physical barriers, with security patrols when needed.
All members of the Missouri Highway Patrol who are participating in the effort are doing so on a voluntary basis. These troopers will begin active support on March 1, which includes helping with traffic enforcement, criminal interdiction, crime prevention and other duties.
“Our current operation plan activates this mission for 90 days,” Parson said. “However, we will continuously work with Texas to evaluate needed support moving forward.”
In December 2023, more than 302,000 border crossings were recorded just that month by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. In fiscal year 2023, more than 2 million encounters were recorded. Since 2021, nearly 10 million people have entered the U.S. illegally, though not all at the southern border.
There were 27,000 pounds of fentanyl seized by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol in 2023, with 98.9% of that taken by authorities at the southern border. Some of this was confiscated at legal ports of entry, but the staggering amounts of the deadly drug entering the country is even more reason to send aid, according to Parson.
“Of course, where we have armed patrols, inspecting people and transports as well as legitimate barriers to entry, we’re going to discover and seize items that should not be coming into our country,” Parson said. “It’s actually quite an argument for the need to expand those procedures and secure our border.”
In 2023, the Missouri State Highway Patrol seized almost 12,500 grams of fentanyl. Fentanyl overdoses have increased by nearly 135% in Missouri since 2017. In 2022, 43 children in the state died from fentanyl exposure.
“The more illegal crossings we could stop and the fentanyl we can seize in Texas means less Missouri families torn apart and less Missouri children losing their lives,” Parson said.
More: Missouri lawmakers hope to crack down on illegal immigration but advocates raise concerns
The Missouri Democratic Party issued a statement criticizing Parson’s executive order, with Missouri Democratic Party Executive Director Matthew Patterson calling it “political theater,” and pointing out how Republicans in the U.S. Congress quickly denounced a bipartisan immigration reform package.
“Governor Parson’s decision to double down his political theater at the southern border instead of urging his Republican colleagues in Congress to support the bipartisan border agreement is not surprising but is deeply shameful,” Patterson said. “Missouri Republicans have demonstrated time after time that they will always choose to play political games over doing their jobs no matter who is put at risk.”
Missouri State House Minority Whip Ashley Aune joined Patterson in these criticisms, expressing frustration with “self-serving politicians playing political games,” and urged Parson to encourage Republican legislators to focus on governing Missouri rather than scoring campaign points.
“The bipartisan bill that was blocked by Republicans in Congress would have addressed this crisis, but Missouri Republicans would rather send Missouri resources to another state than do their jobs,” Aune said. “To these politicians, our pain is their political strategy, and America will continue to feel the consequences of their dysfunction as long as it scores them political points.”
Parson, however, expected to receive criticism for sending resources to the southern border, acknowledging them preemptively in his announcement Tuesday afternoon.
“Critics will say we have our own battles within our own Missouri borders,” Parson said. “And while that is certainly true, we would much rather do what we can to fight this fight on the southern border than let it take root in our own backyard.”
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Homicide detectives in Kansas City, Missouri, were called to the scene of a deadly shooting Saturday morning.
Just before 7 a.m. Saturday, police received a reported shooting call near E. 4th Street and Holmes Street.
When officers arrived, they located an adult male in the street who had been shot.
Paramedics transported the victim to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
A police spokesperson said detectives believe the victim had an interaction with one or more suspects in a vehicle when one of the suspects opened fire, striking the victim.
The spokesperson said the incident happened in an area with several apartment residences – detectives are interviewing potential witnesses for additional information.
—
If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.
Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 8, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 8 drawing
37-47-49-51-58, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 8 drawing
Midday: 4-6-2
Midday Wild: 6
Evening: 1-3-0
Evening Wild: 6
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 8 drawing
Midday: 1-1-1-9
Midday Wild: 3
Evening: 8-8-9-9
Evening Wild: 8
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from May 8 drawing
Early Bird: 13
Morning: 11
Matinee: 15
Prime Time: 07
Night Owl: 13
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from May 8 drawing
02-18-20-23-36
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
- Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
- Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
- Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
A Jackson County judge on Friday denied Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway’s attempt to immediately stop Kansas City-based CBD American Shaman and several affiliated companies from selling kratom products.
The motion for a temporary restraining order, which was filed alongside the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, took particular aim at the more potent 7-OH products, which Hanaway argues are “hazardous opioids” banned by state and federal law.
Jackson County Circuit Judge Charles McKenzie’s ruling Friday stated there are “competing affidavits” from experts on both sides of the argument, following a hearing on the motion earlier this week.
“The court cannot find, based on the oral argument of the parties, the respective competing affidavits presented and the pleadings, whether the plaintiff is likely to succeed on the merits at this juncture in the proceedings in order for the court to grant relief in the form of a temporary restraining order,” McKenzie’s order states.
Hanaway’s argument was backed by sworn statements from an undercover narcotics officer with the highway patrol who said 7-OH is being used to cut fentanyl and a woman whose brother died from a kratom overdose. Her office also submitted a FDA report that points to 7-OH as “a potent opioid that poses an emerging public health threat” and state health data showing synthetic 7-OH was involved in at least 197 Missouri deaths.
American Shaman submitted statements of its own from five toxicology and addiction experts, who largely said there wasn’t enough evidence to show that 7-OH and kratom posed a public health risk. One who researched narcotics said she had never heard of 7-OH being used to cut fentanyl.
Company owner Vince Sanders’ statement detailed how he came up with the idea to create 7-OH products, which now has an “enormous” demand particularly among people who need pain management.
Sanders could not be reached for comment about the ruling Friday.
McKenzie denied a temporary restraining order “without prejudice,” meaning that he would like to see more evidence.
“It is because of this finding that the court determines it necessary to hold an additional hearing,” he wrote, “where it can consider the parties respective positions with the potential of testimonial evidence and other properly introduced evidence, all as more fully developed by the parties, in order to further analyze these issues.”
The judge will consider “other injunctive relief sought in the pleadings at a future hearing to consider the issues,” the order states.
Hanaway filed a similar lawsuit Thursday against Relax Relief Rejuvenate Trading LLC, and its owners Dustin Robinson and Ajaykumar Patel.
The group received a warning letter from the FDA for producing 7-OH products last year similar to one received by Shaman Botanicals.
“This is another step in our ongoing crackdown on kratom manufacturers who flout the law and try to justify endangering Missourians in the name of profit,” Hanaway said in a press release Thursday. “Our mission is to safeguard Missourians from unregulated and addictive substances, and we will continue to pursue every legal tool available to protect public health and safety.”
This story was originally published by the Missouri Independent.
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