Gov Abbott: Operation Lone Star repelling illegal immigrants from crossing border
SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — Texas Governor Greg Abbott is giving an update on Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort between the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard to secure the border, stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons and people into Texas, and intercept criminal behavior between ports of entry.
Governor Abbott says Operation Lone Star has led to over 376,000 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 28,000 criminal arrests, with more than 25,000 felony charges reported since it was launched in April 2021. In the fight against fentanyl, Texas law enforcement has seized over 416 million lethal doses of fentanyl during this border mission.
Texas has also bused more than 9,400 migrants to our nation’s capital since April 2022, over 6,700 migrants to New York City since August 5, more than 1,900 migrants to Chicago since August 31, more than 1,000 migrants to Philadelphia since November 15, and 40 migrants to Denver on the first bus that departed this week.
At a press conference Friday in Brownsville, Governor Abbott thanked Texas National Guard soldiers and DPS troopers for their service at the southern border.
“I’m here in Brownsville today to thank the hardworking men women who are defending our border for their bravery and courage,” said Governor Abbott. “These men and women in uniform here today, they’re considered to be heroes by their fellow Americans. They should be proud of what they’ve done. I’m proud of what they’ve done.”
Governor Abbott says Texas National Guard soldiers are using all available strategies to deter illegal immigrants from crossing the border into Texas. Soldiers helped install miles of additional razor wire along the border and continue to maintain a strong presence behind the barriers. Texas National Guard drone teams also play a critical role in detecting illegal immigrants attempting to hide.
