Operation Lone Star making progress against illegal border problems

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Texas National Guard have been cracking down on criminal activities related to the border crisis. The law enforcement agencies have been working together under Operation Lone Star, a program that began under Governor Greg Abbott in March 2021.

The law enforcement agencies have apprehended over 507,200 illegal immigrants since the program began. They also have made more than 41,500 criminal arrests, with over 36,900 felony charges. Texas law enforcement has also seized over 471 million lethal doses of fentanyl during border missions, and DPS troopers have made arrests related to human smuggling and criminal activities.

According to Governor Abbott, "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."

Abbott has said Texas will arrest illegal immigrants who tamper with the state’s razor wire barrier on the border or the construction of the border wall in Zapata County. Texas National Guard soldiers have been reinforcing barriers in El Paso to prevent illegal entries.

Guardsmen from multiple states have been arriving in Texas to support the border mission, aiding in building and fortifying barriers to deter illegal crossings along the Texas-Mexico border.