Operation Lone Star Decreases Illegal Crossings Into Texas By 85%

TEXAS, July 26 - July 26, 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 516,600 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 45,500 criminal arrests, with more than 39,500 felony charges. In the fight against the fentanyl crisis, Texas law enforcement has seized over 506 million lethal doses of fentanyl, enough to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States and Mexico combined during this border mission. 
 
Texas has also transported:

• Over 12,500 migrants to Washington, D.C. since April 2022
• Over 45,900 migrants to New York City since August 2022
• Over 36,900 migrants to Chicago since August 2022
• Over 3,400 migrants to Philadelphia since November 2022
• Over 19,200 migrants to Denver since May 2023
• Over 1,500 migrants to Los Angeles since June 2023

 
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:
 
WATCH: Governor Abbott: Kamala Harris Is A Failure As Border Czar
 
Governor Abbott joined Fox News last night with host Kayleigh McEnany to discuss Kamala Harris' track record as a failed border czar and Texas stepping up in her absence to deal with the crisis she created.
 
“Regardless of title, [Kamala Harris] was in charge of the [Biden-Harris] Administration’s dealing on the border, as well as the crisis in Central America causing the border crisis that Biden created," said Governor Abbott. "That said, Kamala Harris came to the border one time during her entire vice presidency, and that was a brief visit in a sanitized El Paso at the time. She did not go to any place that has thousands of crossings. She did not see the chaos that Texas and other states must deal with every single day.”

WATCH: Governor Abbott: The Border Crisis Is Not A Laughing Matter
 
On Monday, Governor Abbott joined Sandra Smith and John Roberts on Fox News to discuss Vice President Harris’ handling of the border crisis over the past three years. During the interview, the Governor slammed Vice President Harris’ refusal to address historic levels of illegal immigration at the border, pointing out how the Biden-Harris Administration has put Americans at risk.
 
“[Vice President Harris] was the border czar,” said Governor Abbott. “She gets a grade of F- for that border because we’ve had the largest number of illegal border crossings ever in the history of the country, including more than just the murderers and rapists, but also an all-time record high of terrorists. We are at a precarious time in our history right now, with this transition of power, where terrorists will be seeking to come across the border that she is in charge of, that she is endangering because of her lack of responsibility to step up and secure the border.”

Governor Abbott: Texas Keeps Deadly Fentanyl Out Of Communities
 
This week on X, formerly known as Twitter, Governor Abbott highlighted that Texas has seized over half a billion lethal doses of fentanyl since Operation Lone Star began in 2021.
 
The Governor noted that President Biden’s reckless open border policies endanger Americans and allow deadly drugs to enter our communities.

Governor Abbott: Texas National Guard Triples Razor Wire In El Paso
 
Governor Abbott on Monday shared an article that showcased Texas National Guard engineers installing new, triple-strand razor wire along the border in El Paso.
 
Texas continues to utilize every tool and strategy to deter and repel illegal crossings.

Texas Border Czar Banks: Illegal Immigration Has Decreased Into Texas By 85%
 
Texas Border Czar Mike Banks on Thursday called out Vice President Harris' failed border security track record and touted Texas' achievements in securing the border. 
 
Under Texas' historic border security mission, Operation Lone Star, illegal immigration has decreased into Texas by 85%. 

WATCH: DPS Brush Team Arrests Smuggling Guide In Rio Grade Valley
 
A Texas DPS Brush team arrested a smuggling guide in the Rio Grande Valley as he was smuggling illegal immigrants into Texas. DPS troopers, with the assistance of drone operators, located the smuggler and illegal immigrants in the thick brush on private property.
 
The guide admitted to being paid $100 per person. He was charged with smuggling of persons. The illegal immigrants were referred to Border Patrol. 

DPS Brush Team Arrests Illegal Immigrants For Criminal Trespass In Maverick County
 
Yesterday, a Texas DPS Brush Team in Maverick County, being assisted by DPS aircraft, located three illegal immigrants who were trespassing on a private ranch.
 
The three illegal immigrants are from Mexico and Guatemala. All three were taken into custody and charged with criminal trespass.

Texas National Guard Assist In Drugs, Weapons Bust In El Paso
 
Texas National Guard soldiers used drones to identify and track potential suspects during a multi-agency operation earlier this month that resulted in a drug and weapons bust in El Paso.
 
With the assistance of drone technology, Texas National Guard soldiers assisted DPS troopers in seizing 631 pounds of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), one pound of marijuana, a gram of cocaine, four weapons, and other illegal contraband as part of the operation.

Texas National Guard Assist Law Enforcement In Drug Bust Along The Border
 
Earlier this week, Texas National Guard assisted law enforcement partners in apprehending two smugglers and seizing nearly 50 pounds of narcotics during a multi-operation.
 
Texas National Guard soldiers spotted a suspicious vehicle in an area known for smuggling and alerted Texas law enforcement partners. The soldiers watched suspects carrying large bundles, which turned out to be narcotics. Law enforcement intercepted the smugglers and made three arrests.