Operation Lone Star personnel assist in location of suspected cartel members

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — The Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott is reporting the arrest of five suspected cartel members just across the Texas-Mexico border.

Operation Lone Star personnel say the suspects were found in the brush in the city of Fronton, Texas, located just across the border roughly 90 minutes northwest of McAllen.

Investigators say two rifles were also recovered as the five men were handed over to U.S. Border Patrol.

Governor Abbott signed a series of border security legislation passed during the 88th Regular Legislative Session into law at the Texas Capitol on Thursday. The package of six bills is intended to expand Texas’ effort to halt illegal immigration, weapons, and drugs into Texas from Mexico.

“The Texas Legislature has stepped up to make sure we continue to robustly respond to President Biden’s growing border crisis, including allocating $5.1 billion for border security,” said Governor Abbott. “I am signing six bills from this year’s regular session to ensure that Texas can continue to do even more to stop illegal immigration at our southern border and provide new tools to the brave men and women along the southern border to protect Texans and Americans from the chaos and crisis of the border.”

Governor Abbott also announced the deployment of new marine floating barriers to deter illegal crossings in hotspots along the Rio Grande River. The hope is that this strategy will prevent illegal crossings between ports of entry by making it more difficult to cross the Rio Grande and reach the Texas side of the southern border.

The first 1,000 feet of the marine floating barrier will be deployed near Eagle Pass.