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 497,600 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 39,000 criminal arrests, with more than 35,200 felony charges. In the fight against the fentanyl crisis, Texas law enforcement has seized over 458 million lethal doses of fentanyl during this border mission.
Texas has also transported:
Over 12,500 migrants to Washington, D.C. since April 2022
Over 37,600 migrants to New York City since August 2022
Over 31,300 migrants to Chicago since August 2022
Over 3,400 migrants to Philadelphia since November 2022
Over 16,100 migrants to Denver since May 18
Over 1,500 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.
Governor Abbott joined Sean Hannity on Monday to discuss the Biden Administration’s latest attacks on Texas’ historic Operation Lone Star border security mission. During the interview, the Governor emphasized how important it is for Americans to have a secure border.
“This is the No. 1 issue in America—Americans want a secure border,” said Governor Abbott. “If Joe Biden federalizes our National Guard, that would be the biggest political blunder he could make—and that’s why I think he will not do it.”
On Tuesday, Governor Abbott celebrated the one-year anniversary of Mike Banks being named the first-ever Texas Border Czar.
In January 2023, Governor Abbott announced the new position of Texas Border Czar to oversee border security in President Biden’s absence at a press conference on a Texas border wall construction site in San Benito.
DPS troopers stopped a truck tractor in Webb County and noticed illegal immigrants hidden under aluminum panels. The troopers moved some construction barriers blocking the panels and pried open a wooden container to uncover seven illegal immigrants inside.
All seven were referred to Border Patrol. The driver, from Laredo, was arrested and charged with smuggling of persons.
DPS Brush Team Tracks Down Known Criminal From Pakistan In Sullivan County
A DPS Brush Team assisted the Sullivan City Police Department after a high-speed vehicle pursuit resulted in a bailout in Sullivan City. Troopers tracked and located Naveed Rasheed Shike, 38, from Pakistan. Shike told troopers he paid a smuggling organization in Mexico $13,000 to be smuggled to Houston. Shike had multiple warrants for drug possession. He was taken into custody by the Sullivan City Police.
(PHOTO: Texas Department of Public Safety)
DPS Charges Eight Migrants For Criminal Trespass In Kinney County
In response to a camera activation on a ranch in Kinney County, DPS troopers tracked and located a group of eight illegal immigrants from Mexico.
All eight illegal immigrants were arrested and charged with criminal trespass.
Texas National Guard Boat Teams remain a vital asset to Operation Lone Star since the mission’s launch in 2021. Boat Teams act as highly mobile patrolling forces to deterand repel dangerous illegal crossings between ports of entry across the Rio Grande River. Task Force Eagle Boat Operator Specialist Marcus Fink provided insight to the importance of boats patrolling the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass.
“Recently, it’s actually gotten a lot worse,” said Spc. Fink, Task Force Eagle Boat Operator. “I’d say like last fall is when it started peaking up. We saw a staggering amount of numbers come this January. Since we closed down this area right there, we saw a dramatic decrease of migrants.”
