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 414,000 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 33,200 criminal arrests, with more than 30,100 felony charges reported. In the fight against fentanyl, Texas law enforcement has seized over 426 million lethal doses of fentanyl during this border mission.
Texas has also bused:
- Over 11,000 migrants to Washington, D.C. since April 2022
- Over 12,000 migrants to New York City since August 2022
- Over 5,600 migrants to Chicago since August 2022
- Over 2,300 migrants to Philadelphia since November 2022
- Over 710 migrants to Denver since May 18
- Over 330 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.
RECENT HIGHLIGHTS FROM OPERATION LONE STAR:
Governor Abbott: Most Texans Support Floating Marine Barriers As Deterrents
This week, Governor Abbott highlighted a recent poll showing nearly half of Texans support his decision to deploy floating marine barriers in a section of the Rio Grande River to deter and repel illegal crossings. The Governor deployed floating marine barriers in Eagle Pass to bolster the state’s historic border response amid President Biden’s ongoing border crisis.
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WATCH: DPS Lt. Olivarez Discusses Operation Lone Star Repelling Cartel Activity
After Mexican cartel members armed with automatic rifles and armor-piercing ammunition were arrested earlier this month after crossing the border into Texas, DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez joined Fox News to discuss Operation Lone Star efforts to curb violent transnational criminal activity. After crossing into the United States, armed cartel members typically scout an area for law enforcement presence to smuggle illicit drugs, high-profile illegal immigrants, cartel members, or suspected terrorists.
“The Mexican drug cartels pose a significant threat to public safety and national security,” said Lt. Olivarez. “Mexican drug cartels have operational control of the border; they control the flow of human smuggling and drug smuggling into the United States. They’ve been able to enrich themselves by profiting off the human and drug smuggling. They are a paramilitary group.”
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WATCH: DPS Lt. Olivarez Notes Increase In High-Speed Criminal Vehicle Pursuits
DPS Lt. Olivarez spoke with Fox News this week to talk about the increase that law enforcement is seeing in dangerous high-speed vehicle pursuits involving criminals near the border. After DPS released footage of a dramatic chase with human smugglers, Lt. Olivarez noted that smugglers have no regard for public safety and will often drive on the wrong side of the road or crash into other vehicles or ranch fences in getaway attempts.
“This is a daily occurrence that we face every single day along the border—not just DPS but also local, county, and federal law enforcement,” said Lt. Olivarez. “When you have open borders, you expose and allow criminal organizations to expand their criminal enterprises throughout the United States. They recruit drivers, even teenage drivers, who take part in human smuggling. It’s nonstop, we see it every single day, and it becomes more dangerous as we encounter these smugglers.”
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