Gov Abbott: Operation Lone Star using hi-tech assets to stop illegal crossings

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — Texas Governor Greg Abbott is illustrating some of the advanced tools being utilized by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to stop illegal immigration at the southern border.

Among the tools at the disposal of state and federal law enforcement are aerial drones and night vision that allow personnel to track down suspects who might otherwise be lost

The video below shows what Texas DPS  identified as a human smuggler leading troopers on a high-speed chase in Hidalgo County. The driver eventually crashed into a ranch fence and bailed out with numerous illegal immigrants who ran onto the property. DPS aircraft helped apprehend 15 illegal immigrants, all of whom were referred to Border Patrol.

The Texas National Guard is working with Texas DPS in Operation Lone Star, a multi-agency effort that takes credit for the apprehension of over 345,000 illegal immigrants since April 2021. The effort has led to led to more than 24,000 criminal arrests, with more than 21,000 felony charges reported.

In the fight against fentanyl, DPS has seized over 356 million lethal doses of fentanyl during this border mission.