Chuck Norris: Texas is at risk for being invaded by the U.S. military

AUSTIN, Texas, May 5 (UPI) -- Actor and martial artist Chuck Norris believes the Jade Helm 15 military exercises to be held in Texas could turn into a full-scale occupation of the state.

The star of the show Walker, Texas Ranger wrote an op-ed on the right-wing news site WND expressing his concerns about the upcoming special operations exercises set to be conducted in seven states including Texas.

"What's under question are those who are pulling the strings at the top of Jade Helm 15 back in Washington. The U.S. government says, 'It's just a training exercise.' But I'm not sure the term 'just' has any reference to reality when the government uses it."

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas State Guard to monitor the military exercises as they took place in the state. The purpose was to make sure the military did not infringe on Texans' "safety, constitutional rights, private property rights and civil liberties."

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has also demanded the Pentagon be more transparent about the exercise.

The fear and unsubstantiated conspiracy has pushed far enough into the mainstream that the Pentagon definitively stated there is no plan to invade Texas.

"Jade Helm is a long planned and coordinated exercise," said Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren. "We are not taking over anything."

The U.S. Army Special Operations Command also stated in a press release describing the exercise that no exercises would be conducted on private or public land without the consent of private landowners and local and state authorities.

Norris, however, thinks a greater amount of transparency is required to reassure Texans this is not some prelude to some sort of martial law.

"It's neither over-reactionary nor conspiratorial to call into question or ask for transparency about Jade Helm 15 or any other government activity," he wrote. "We must never check our brains or blindly trust, especially the government. Rather, we must fight until our dying breaths for liberty, especially when it appears those in power are trying to knock down Old Glory."