AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard continue to work together to secure the border; stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into Texas; and prevent, detect, and interdict transnational criminal activity between ports of entry.
Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to over 518,300 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 46,000 criminal arrests, with more than 40,000 felony charges. In the fight against the fentanyl crisis, Texas law enforcement has seized over 521 million lethal doses of fentanyl, enough to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States and Mexico combined during this border mission.
Texas has also transported:
Over 12,500 migrants to Washington, D.C. since April 2022
Over 45,900 migrants to New York City since August 2022
Over 36,900 migrants to Chicago since August 2022
Over 3,400 migrants to Philadelphia since November 2022
Over 19,200 migrants to Denver since May 2023
Over 1,500 migrants to Los Angeles since June 2023
Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps created by the Biden-Harris Administration’s refusal to secure the border. Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ open border policies.
Yesterday, Governor Abbott joined John Roberts on Fox News to discuss how the Biden-Harris Administration’s dangerous open border policies have made every state a border state. The Governor slammed Vice President Kamala Harris for allowing over 11 million illegal immigrants, including dangerous criminals, into the country.
“As Governors, residents, and citizens across America have seen, every state is now a border state,” said Governor Abbott. “It’s not something that just happens in Texas or Arizona. It happens in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin in regard to the importation of fentanyl, to people losing their lives because of criminals and rapists that have been allowed in by Kamala Harris. Americans are threatened now more than ever because of the reckless open border policies that were allowed by Kamala Harris.”
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Governor Abbott shared on Tuesday that DPS added a new fugitive to Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List.
Texas continues to step up to ensure dangerous criminals who are in our state illegally are put behind bars.
Governor Abbott yesterday shared photos on X of the Texas National Guard using UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to patrol the Texas-Mexico border and stop illegal entry.
Texas will keep utilizing every available tool and strategy to respond to the border crisis created by the Biden-Harris Administration.
Earlier this week on X, Governor Abbott highlighted a video of a panel installation at the Texas border wall in Starr County.
Until President Biden and Vice President Harris secure the border, Texas won’t back down from the fight to secure the border by building more miles of border wall.
During a traffic stop on State Loop 79 in Val Verde County, a DPS trooper asked a driver for consent to search his vehicle. The driver, an illegal immigrant from Honduras, consented to the search. The DPS trooper then discovered two illegal immigrants from Mexico concealed in the trunk of the vehicle underneath clothing and miscellaneous items.
The driver was arrested and charged with smuggling of persons, and the two illegal immigrants were referred to Border Patrol.
DPS Troopers Arrest Four Human Smugglers In The Rio Grande Valley
As part of an anti-smuggling operation, the DPS Brush Team in the Rio Grande Valley arrested four smuggling guides from Mexico who helped guide illegal immigrants across the Rio Grande. All four face felony charges for human smuggling.
A DPS trooper and a Florida Highway Patrol trooper stopped a Cadillac in Maverick County. During the stop, the DPS trooper asked for consent to search the vehicle. The driver, Damion Lewis from Tyler, admitted to having people concealed in the trunk.
The troopers then discovered three illegal immigrants from Mexico concealed in the trunk. Lewis was arrested and charged with smuggling of persons, and the three illegal immigrants were referred to Border Patrol.
After Border Patrol Agents spent several overnight hours attempting to locate an illegal immigrant in Kinney County, DPS K-9 Arya and her handler were dispatched to assist with tracking. Using human odor from fresh foot tracks, K-9 Arya tracked the illegal immigrant for more than two hours, spanning two and a half miles.
K-9 Arya alerted her handler to a tree, where the illegal immigrant from Honduras, was found underneath. The illegal immigrant was referred to Border Patrol.
Texas National Guard Build New Tactical Command Post In Shelby Park
Earlier this week, Texas National Guard soldiers working on Operation Lone Star built a new tactical command post in Shelby Park. The new command post includes eight interconnected tents with generators, hard floors, and air conditioning.
This command post will improve communication between Operation Lone Star personnel and will help soldiers with the rapid, efficient delivery of supplies and support in the event of a mass migration event.
Under Operation Lone Star, Texas National Guard soldiers continue to bolster border security efforts in Eagle Pass. Sergeant Angel Alcala with Task Force Eagle in Maverick County outlined the crucial work of patrolling the river day and night to deter and repel illegal crossings into the state.
“Once they see us operating our boats, a lot of activity tends to mitigate,” said Sgt. Alcala. “In extreme cases, you do have those desperate individuals that continue to try to cross, but once they see us heading towards the direction in our boats, they quickly begin moving back to the Mexican side.”
