Operation Lone Star Combats Drug, Human Smuggling Across Border

TEXAS, April 19 - April 19, 2024 | Austin, Texas | Press Release

Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard continue 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 508,900 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 41,900 criminal arrests, with more than 37,600 felony charges. In the fight against the fentanyl crisis, Texas law enforcement has seized over 475 million lethal doses of fentanyl during this border mission.  

Texas has also transported:

• Over 12,500 migrants to Washington, D.C. since April 2022
• Over 42,500 migrants to New York City since August 2022
• Over 34,700 migrants to Chicago since August 2022
• Over 3,400 migrants to Philadelphia since November 2022
• Over 18,100 migrants to Denver since May 18
• Over 1,500 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: Texas National Guard Soldiers Turn Back Illegal Immigrants  

On X, formerly known as Twitter, Governor Abbott shared photos earlier this week of Texas National Guard soldiers turning back a group of illegal immigrants in El Paso.

Texas continues to hold the line in El Paso following a recent surge of illegal immigrants, deploying additional personnel and resources to bolster border security efforts in the region.

Governor Abbott: More Border Wall Panels Installed In Maverick County 

On Monday, Governor Abbott shared footage of ongoing border wall construction in Maverick County on X. Texas continues to construct strategic barriers, including border wall, to deter and repel illegal entry across the Texas-Mexico border.

Governor Abbott: Texas National Guard Installs Anti-Climb Barriers In El Paso 

Earlier in the week, Governor Abbott shared photos on X of Texas National Guard engineers installing anti-climb barriers along the border in El Paso to deter and repel illegal entry in the state.

WATCH: DPS Recovers 23 Illegal Immigrants Smuggled In Flatbed Trailer 

Last week, DPS troopers were led on a short pursuit after the driver of a tractor towing a flatbed trailer failed to stop for a DPS commercial vehicle safety inspection in La Salle County. The driver stopped and fled the vehicle on foot. DPS troopers and local law enforcement then discovered 23 illegal immigrants concealed in the floor of the vehicle’s flatbed trailer without proper ventilation.

The group of illegal immigrants included 15 males, six females, and two juveniles from Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. One illegal immigrant was treated for dehydration and transported to a local hospital. All 23 illegal immigrants were referred to Border Patrol.

DPS Brush Team Arrests Teenage Human Smuggler In Brownsville 

The DPS Brush Team arrested a 17-year-old smuggling guide in Brownsville who led several illegal immigrants across the Rio Grande River. DPS troopers and drone operators located the smuggler hiding inside a nearby shed.

Luis Alberto Torres, from Matamoros, Mexico, was charged with felony human smuggling and transported to the county jail. Torres has a history of over 90 apprehensions for drug, human, and exotic monkey smuggling.

WATCH: National Guard Soldiers From Across U.S. Stand Together To Secure Border

The Texas National Guard continues to partner with fellow soldiers deployed from states across the country in support of Operation Lone Star and Texas' ongoing response to President Biden's border crisis.

Sgt. Christopher Estrada, Indiana National Guard - Task Force West, discussed the joint efforts along the southern border, including stopping breaches in the razor wire barriers, apprehending illegal immigrants, and combatting drug trafficking.

"To our state specifically, [Operation Lone Star] is important to us in the sense that there is a lot of drug trafficking that happens through this border, and it comes to Indiana in many forms and ways," said Sgt. Estrada. "It's effecting the people of Indiana drastically, and anything we can do as a team to be able to help stop that is the biggest end goal."

Air National Guard, Law Enforcement Stop Drug Smuggling Operation

Earlier this week, members of the Texas Air National Guard and law enforcement assigned to Operation Lone Star stopped an attempted illegal drug smuggling operation along the Texas- Mexico border. Five individuals carrying large bundles of narcotics were arrested after entering illegally near New Hope