Governor Abbott announces more than 21,000 arrests at border since Operation Lone Star began

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — Texas Governor Greg Abbott is releasing new numbers compiled by Operation Lone Star, the joint effort between the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Texas National Guard to secure the southern border.

The effort was launched in March 2021, and since that time more than 319,000 migrant apprehensions have been logged. These have led to more than 21,000 criminal arrests, and those include more than 18,700 felony charges.

Texas DPS reports more than 346 million doses of fentanyl have been seized since early ’21. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl is now the leading cause of death among adults age 18-45.

This year opened another chapter of Operation Lone Star, which included the busing of illegal immigrants to ‘sanctuary cities’ beyond the state of Texas. Governor Abbott says more than 8,200 migrants have been bussed to Washington, DC since April. In August, 3,400 migrants were sent to New York City and 1,100 were bussed to Chicago.

Governor Abbott says Operation Lone Star is necessary because the Biden Administration is failing to secure the border.