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 behavior between ports of entry.
Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to over 406,500 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 32,700 criminal arrests, with more than 29,900 felony charges reported. In the fight against fentanyl, Texas law enforcement has seized over 422 million lethal doses of fentanyl during this border mission.
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: Texas Will Bus Migrants Until Biden Secures The Border
On Thursday, Governor Abbott provided an update on Texas’ migrant busing strategy to provide much-needed relief to the state’s overwhelmed border communities. Since beginning the busing strategy last spring, more than 30,000 migrants have been transported to self-declared sanctuary cities, including:
- Over 10,700 to Washington, D.C. since April 2022
- Over 11,500 to New York City since August 2022
- Over 4,900 migrants to Chicago since August 2022
- Over 2,100 to Philadelphia since November 2022
- Over 520 to Denver since May 18
Over 290 to Los Angeles since June 14
WATCH: Lt. Olivarez: Armed Cartel Members Escorting Migrants Across Border
DPS Lieutenant Chris Olivarez joined Fox News’ Neil Cavuto where he explained how President Biden’s refusal to secure the border has emboldened Mexican drug cartels to arm their members as they help migrants cross into Texas from Mexico.
“It really goes to show that they have taken it to another level of brazenness of showing how bold they are and that they really don’t care what will happen,” said Lt. Olivarez. “They know they’re in control. That’s what we’re trying to do as far as a state agency—to show that we are the ones who are in control. We’re going to prevent what’s happening on the border and go after the criminals and arrest them. It all falls back to not having border policies in place to stop what’s happening between the ports of entry—this is the clear result.”
DPS Find 10 Children Abandoned By Smugglers Near Sullivan City
DPS troopers working a joint operation with Border Patrol encountered 10 unaccompanied minors from Honduras and Guatemala near Sullivan City. The smugglers guided the group of children, between the ages of 10 and 16, across the Rio Grande River on a raft. The children were referred to Border Patrol.
