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 524,800 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 48,200 criminal arrests, with more than 41,600 felony charges. In the fight against the fentanyl crisis, Texas law enforcement has seized over 551 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 decreased illegal crossings into the state by over 88% due to our historic border security mission. Fewer illegal crossings into Texas means fewer migrants to transport to sanctuary cities. Since the start of Texas’ transportation program, the state has 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 federal government’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 open border policies.
RECENT HIGHLIGHTS FROM OPERATION LONE STAR:
This morning, Governor Abbott slammed Vice President Harris’ visit to Houston, the city where Jocelyn Nungaray was brutally murdered by members of the vicious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), and demanded she declare TdA as a foreign terrorist organization.
“Vice President Kamala Harris conveniently claims she cares about securing our border, yet her open border policies have allowed over 11 million illegal immigrants and dangerous criminals, like Tren de Aragua, into our country in the last four years—putting the lives of every American at risk,” said Governor Abbott. “In fact, today she’s in Houston, the same city where innocent 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was raped and murdered by two Tren de Aragua gang members. Jocelyn, her family, and all Americans deserve better. Vice President Harris must follow Texas’ lead and designate Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization immediately. But that’s just a start. The Biden-Harris Administration must use the full weight of the federal government to eradicate them once and for all—for Jocelyn and for every American.”
Governor Abbott: Illegal Crossings Down 88% In Texas
Governor Abbott yesterday shared a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, of construction workers adding more miles to Texas’ border wall.
Due to Texas’ historic border security mission and barriers, illegal crossings are down by 88% in the state while they increased in other border states like Arizona and California.
