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 427,600 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 33,800 criminal arrests, with more than 30,700 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 11,300 migrants to Washington, D.C. since April 2022
• Over 13,100 migrants to New York City since August 2022
• Over 6,400 migrants to Chicago since August 2022
• Over 2,500 migrants to Philadelphia since November 2022
• Over 1,000 migrants to Denver since May 18
• Over 440 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: We Will Take Biden To Supreme Court To Protect Border

In a recent op-ed published in the New York Post, Governor Abbott defends Texas’ authority to secure the border amid President Biden’s continued refusal to enforce federal immigration laws. Last month, President Biden’s Department of Justice sued Texas for deploying floating marine barriers in the Rio Grande River as part of the state’s heightened deterrence effort.

“In accordance with the U.S. Constitution, as commander in chief of Texas’ militia I have asserted our state’s sovereign interest to protect our borders,” writes Governor Abbott. “The Biden Administration has left border states like Texas to fend for themselves amid the escalating crisis and is now misapplying some obscure statute to keep Texas from using the marine barriers to deter more illegal border crossings into our state. But let me be clear: We will continue to deploy every lawful tool and strategy to protect Texans. Critics of Texas’ border security mission have one thing right: The president has a constitutional responsibility to enforce existing federal immigration laws and protect the sovereignty of our homeland and the safety of our citizens. Until then, Texas will not bow to relentless Mexican cartels or the strongarm tactics of a negligent administration.”

Read Governor Abbott’s latest op-ed.

WATCH: DPS Lt. Olivarez Provides Update On Ongoing Border Crisis

DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez spoke with Fox 7 Austin about the unprecedented actions Governor Abbott has taken to secure the border in President Biden’s absence, including the deployment in July of floating marine barriers in the Rio Grande River. Lt. Olivarez explained DPS has recently been experiencing between 5,000-6,000 daily encounters along the southwest border, but encounters with armed gunmen have become more common for law enforcement along the border.

“We still have a serious border situation with so many people who are still crossing between the ports of entry,” said Lt. Olivarez. “The specific area where the [marine barrier] is placed right now is where we were seeing large groups of people that were crossing by the hundreds, even thousands, at the time. Now that the marine barrier has been put in place at that area in Eagle Pass, those crossings have been diverted to other areas, which has reduced the number of people coming across.”

WATCH: Smuggler Leads DPS On High-Speed Pursuit, Tries To Evade Arrest

A human smuggler is facing charges after a high-speed pursuit in Hidalgo County this week. The smuggler, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, evaded DPS personnel and eventually bailed out near the Rio Grande River, attempting to swim back to Mexico.

DPS troopers and Texas National Guard soldiers were able to capture him after a brief struggle. He is charged with evading arrest, smuggling of persons, and assault on a public servant. One illegal immigrant was also apprehended and referred to Border Patrol.