Texas Arrests Dangerous Tren De Aragua Gang Member
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 521,100 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 47,400 criminal arrests, with more than 41,000 felony charges. In the fight against the fentanyl crisis, Texas law enforcement has seized over 544 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 decreased illegal crossings into the state by over 86% due to our historic border security mission. Fewer illegal crossings into Texas means fewer migrants to transport to sanctuary cities. Since the start of Texas’ transportation program, the state has 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 federal government’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 open border policies.
RECENT HIGHLIGHTS FROM OPERATION LONE STAR:
WATCH: Governor Abbott Slams Federal Government Refusal To Secure Border
On Tuesday, Governor Abbott joined Sean Hannity on Fox News to discuss Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent interview on CBS 60 Minutes where she discussed the federal government's approach to illegal immigration.
“I think that [60 Minutes] interview is disqualifying,” said Governor Abbott. “[Vice President Harris] has no answer to what’s going on at the border. To be clear, what [the federal government] did was to gut all the policies that President Trump put into place that secured the border. She also falsely took credit for the decrease in border crossings. Border crossings began going down last year because of the border security measures that Texas put into place.”
Governor Abbott: DPS Captures Tren De Aragua Gang Member In Houston
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Governor Abbott earlier this week shared the news that Texas arrested a known member of the dangerous Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) in Texas.
The Governor emphasized that Texas will continue to track down known or suspected members of this vicious gang, arrest them, and put them behind bars.
Last month, Governor Abbott announced that his Public Safety Office is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of known or suspected members of TdA who have been or are involved in criminal activity and pose an increasing danger to the public safety of Texans.
Read more on the arrest here.
Governor Abbott: Texas Continues To Reinforce Triple-Strand Razor Wire Along Border
On Wednesday, Governor Abbott highlighted photos on X showing Texas National Guard engineers reinforcing triple-strand razor wire along the Texas-Mexico border.
Texas will keep utilizing every tool and strategy in our mission to secure the border and protect Texans.
Governor Abbott: Border Wall Construction Continues In Maverick County
Over the weekend, Governor Abbott showcased footage on X of ongoing border wall construction in Maverick County.
Border barriers, like the historic Texas border wall, help deter and repel illegal immigration, leading to illegal crossings decreasing by over 86% into the state.
WATCH: DPS Arrests Gang Member For Human Smuggling In Hidalgo County
This week, DPS Aircraft Operations Division Pilots working Operation Lone Star observed a Dodge Charger drop off two subjects at a truck stop in Donna. Pilots maintained a visual of the subjects who attempted to conceal themselves within parked commercial trucks at the truck stop. The Dodge Charger then evaded at a high rate of speed after being located by a DPS trooper.
After law enforcement conducted two Precision Immobilization Technique maneuvers, the driver, Juan Xavier Rodriguez of Mission, stopped and evaded on foot. DPS troopers and Florida Highway Patrol troopers arrested Rodriguez for smuggling of persons and evading arrest. Rodriguez, a Valluco gang member, also had an active federal probation warrant for smuggling of aliens. The two illegal immigrants who were dropped off at the truck stop were referred to Border Patrol
Texas National Guard Drone Team Aids In Narcotics Seizure
A Texas National Guard drone team working on Operation Lone Star assisted law enforcement partners in seizing over 45 pounds of narcotics last week.
The drone team was supporting brush operations personnel on the ground overnight. Operators spotted a group of suspected illegal immigrants and alerted Texas National Guard soldiers and law enforcement partners who immediately responded. Law enforcement officers arrested two men for smuggling narcotics and seized over 40 pounds of marijuana.
Texas National Guard Use High-Tech Systems To Secure Texas-Mexico Border
Texas National Guard soldiers continue to use high-tech Mobile Modular Sensor Suite (M2S2) and drones to assist local operations partners along the southern. These advanced enhanced visuals and tracking technology system help deter and stop illegal immigration in mostly uninhabited desert mountain terrain.