A convoy of 1,000 Louisiana National Guard troops sent to New Orleans stalled out earlier today before even reaching the city, after being trapped at an infamous Metairie Road train crossing.
The deployment is part of the state’s recent effort to assist New Orleans police with public safety concerns after Governor Jeff Landry ordered National Guard troops to “restore law and order,” following former President Donald Trump’s example after similar authorizations in Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Portland. Officials have not clarified what that means, how long they’ll stay, or whether the city was notified before the photo op.
The line of military vehicles formed as a freight train rolled in, stopped, reversed, and then lingered motionless across the tracks for what locals described as “a pretty average day.”
It remains unclear whether the delay was a formal protest against troops being deployed to New Orleans or simply the regular spectacle of Louisiana infrastructure. Either way, the train effectively neutralized the operation before it started.
Observers also questioned why the troops were routed through Metairie in the first place, though commanders insisted all GPS systems failed at once and that alternate crossings were already blocked. When asked why they just didn’t turn around and find another route, one official said it was “against protocol to retreat without orders.”
Neutral Ground News Louisiana National Guard troops pass the time at a local bar after their convoy to New Orleans stalled for hours behind a freight train, a mission now best described as “active waiting.”
A spokesperson for Governor Landry said the deployment remains on track, though acknowledged they didn’t expect the track itself to be the issue.
“Officials say the operational plan was vetted, though not, apparently, the train schedule or the constitutional questions.”
“This is the most effective defense system I’ve ever seen,” said one officer, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Frankly, if we could ship this train overseas, we’d never lose a war.”
Eventually, the soldiers abandoned their vehicles and walked to a nearby daiquiri shop to regroup. The train was still present as of press time, reportedly “in no particular rush.”
This is a developing story.