AUSTIN, Texas – 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 304,700 migrant apprehensions and more than 19,800 criminal arrests, with more than 17,400 felony charges reported.
Texas has also bused over 8,000 migrants to our nation’s capital since April and over 2,500 migrants to New York City since August 5. More than 600 migrants from Texas have arrived in Chicago since late August. The busing mission is providing much-needed relief to our overwhelmed border communities.
Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps left 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 Biden’s open border policies.
RECENT HIGHLIGHTS FROM OPERATION LONE STAR:
Governor Abbott Announces Migrant Bus Arrivals At Vice President’s D.C. House
Governor Abbott yesterday announced the arrival of two buses of migrants from Texas outside Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence at the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. This arrival of migrants comes days after Vice President Harris’ trip to Houston, where she claimed the southern border was secure and denied the existence of a border crisis.
“The Biden-Harris Administration continues ignoring and denying the historic crisis at our southern border, which has endangered and overwhelmed Texas communities for almost two years,” said Governor Abbott. “Our supposed Border Czar, Vice President Kamala Harris, has yet to even visit the border to see firsthand the impact of the open border policies she has helped implement, even going so far as to claim the border is ‘secure.’”
Read more about the Washington, D.C. migrant arrivals.
WATCH: Governor Abbott Discusses Chicago Mayor’s Hypocrisy Over Migrants
This week, Governor Abbott joined Fox News’ Jesse Watters Primetime to discuss Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s hypocritical response to receiving migrants from Texas in her sanctuary city. After receiving a few hundred migrants, the mayor began busing the new arrivals to the Chicago suburbs rather than welcoming them into her city.
‘[Mayor Lightfoot] is the epitome of being a hypocrite for doing exactly what she was criticizing me for but also not even acknowledging what President Biden has done,” said Governor Abbott. “President Biden has been flying migrants around the entire country, sometimes in the darkness of night. She’s never said a word about what he has done.”
WATCH: DPS, Local Officials Detail Scope Of Border Crisis For Full Measure Report
DPS joined local border officials and Texans from Eagle Pass to describe the full magnitude of President Biden’s ongoing border crisis to Full Measure’s Sharyl Attkisson. The border special highlights the need for Operation Lone Star to combat the chaos caused by the Biden Administration’s continued refusal to enforce the policies that would prevent illegal border crossings and apprehend illegal immigrants.
WATCH: Texas National Guard Soldiers Describe Pride In Operation Lone Star
Texas National Guard soldiers describe the pride they take in being a part of Operation Lone Star and protecting Texas communities from drug and human trafficking and other transnational crimes.
“It’s definitely rewarding to be able to give back and support the community I’ve grown up in and continue to live my life,” said Airman First Class Medelez of the 432nd Air Expeditionary Group. “With this mission, we’re helping Border Patrol mostly because they’re overwhelmed with the amount of people coming in from the southern border.”
“We have to uphold the rules and laws of Texas and the United States,” said Senior Airman Kwame Asbill.
WATCH: Human Smuggler Leads DPS Troopers On High-Speed Vehicle Pursuit
A human smuggler led DPS troopers on a high-speed vehicle pursuit in Willacy County. The smuggler eventually lost control of the vehicle, causing it to roll over and crash. The smuggler was charged with smuggling of persons, and 12 illegal immigrants were referred to Border Patrol.
WATCH: Texas National Guard Soldier Details Role As Part Of Operation Lone Star
A Texas National Guard soldier described the duties he performs as part of Operation Lone Star. Working alongside DPS and other local and federal law enforcement agencies, the soldier detailed patrols along the southern border while ensuring his fellow guardsmen have the resources needed to carry out their duties.
“[The mission] is important because we need to secure our border; we need to protect our way of life, our economy, and keep drugs out of our communities,” he said.
WATCH: DPS Discover Attempted Smuggling During Traffic Stop
DPS special agents and Highway Patrol troopers discovered four illegal immigrants—three females and one child—hiding in a vehicle during a traffic stop in Hidalgo County. A personal amount of marijuana and a handgun were also recovered from inside the vehicle. The driver was charged with smuggling of persons and possession of marijuana.
Texas National Guard Soldiers Apprehend 30 Illegal Immigrants On Banks Of River
Texas National Guard soldiers from the Tactical Response Unit (TRU) brush teams apprehended 30 illegal immigrants on the banks of the Rio Grande River one night recently. The TRU’s brush team covers different ground sectors each night to deter criminal activity.
“We are a quick reaction force that is intelligence-based, and we have the freedom to maneuver throughout all the zones,” said Sgt. First Class Stephen Mata. “We go to the area that is hot that week and pick and prod and try to find the illegal immigrants in that area.”
TRU operates with brush teams on land and boats patrolling the river, while partnering with other state and federal agencies to eliminate transnational criminal activity.
