AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard are continuing 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 479,000 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 35,500 criminal arrests, with more than 32,300 felony charges reported. In the fight against the fentanyl crisis, Texas law enforcement has seized over 434 million lethal doses of fentanyl during this border mission.
Texas has also bused:
Over 12,500 migrants to Washington, D.C. since April 2022
Over 21,100 migrants to New York City since August 2022
Over 16,500 migrants to Chicago since August 2022
Over 3,200 migrants to Philadelphia since November 2022
Over 4,600 migrants to Denver since May 18
Over 1,000 migrants to Los Angeles since June 14
Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps created by the Biden 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’s open border policies.
As President Biden’s open border policies allow deadly drugs like fentanyl to pour across the border, the State of Texas kicked off the first-ever Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Week in schools across the state. Governor Abbott encourages all parents, teachers, and students to join the fight against this clandestine killer.
ABC-7 in El Paso joined DPS troopers assigned to Operation Lone Star for a nighttime ride along to provide an up-close account of the dangers of human smuggling and related vehicle pursuits. Shortly after leaving DPS headquarters, reporters witnessed a vehicle pursuit that ended in a crash with four migrants inside, one of whom was seriously injured. The teenage driver attempted to flee on foot but was eventually captured.
An aerial tour witnessed an SUV picking up a group of roughly a dozen migrants in the desert brush, while troopers on the ground tracked the vehicle. The driver attempted to evade the troopers at speeds that reached 70 mph in a residential area, and the pursuit ended in a crash. The driver was charged with smuggling of persons.
“We’re all assisting for one goal—to get these people off the road, because we know what it leads to and it’s not safe for them,” said DPS Sgt. Elliot Torres. “They might feel like they’re coming to America and that they’re going to a safer place, but they get taken to these stash houses. They get abused, they get told that they need to pay a debt.”
A driver from Austin led DPS troopers on a high-speed vehicle pursuit in Kinney County. After reaching speeds of up to 100 mph, the driver eventually pulled into a ditch and stopped. Several illegal immigrants bailed out and ran into the brush.
Troopers arrested the female driver, who is now charged with evading and smuggling of persons. A total of seven illegal immigrants were apprehended and referred to Border Patrol.
DPS troopers discovered five illegal immigrants being smuggled inside a vehicle during a traffic stop in Kinney County. Two were found concealed in the trunk of the car. All five were from Honduras and referred to Border Patrol. The driver and passenger were arrested and charged with smuggling of persons.
Texas National Guard soldiers patrol the border near Laredo and collaborate with law enforcement to detect and deter illegal border crossings. The foot patrols are especially helpful at night and during adverse weather conditions such as rain or dust storms, when visibility is low.
“I’ve been here in Laredo for the past two years, as well as various other cities, and seeing the traffic back then versus the traffic now—there is a big difference from what it used to be like,” said Sgt. Zavala, team leader, Task Force Center. “We’re Texans serving Texans.”
DPS TacticalMarine Unit Stops Group Of Illegal Immigrants From Venezuela, Syria
DPS’ Tactical Marine Unit intercepted a group of illegal immigrants crossing the Rio Grande River near Shelby Park in Eagle Pass. Four males and one female from Venezuela, along with one male from Syria, were apprehended and referred to Border Patrol.
(PHOTO: Texas Department Of Public Safety)
Texas National Guard Maintains Border Security During Surge In Eagle Pass
Last month, Texas National Guard soldiers responded to a surge of about 2,000 illegal immigrants near Eagle Pass that was severe enough for the Mayor to issue an emergency declaration. Working with Operation Lone Star partners, soldiers combined efforts to arrest illegal immigrants on state trespassing charges.
“Our focus is to maintain border security by preventing [illegal] migrants and criminals from crossing,” said Sgt. Orozco. “It’s mostly our presence that we use to deter criminal activity and [illegal] migrants from getting in.”
