State surges resources to boost border security Governor Greg Abbott in a press release said his office, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard are continuing 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.
According to Abbott, since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multiagency effort has led to over 506,500 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 41,200 criminal arrests, with more than 36,700 felony charges. In the fight against the fentanyl crisis, Texas law enforcement has seized over 471 million lethal doses of fentanyl during this border mission.
Texas has also transported over 12,500 migrants to Washington, D.C. since April 2022; 40,600 migrants to New York City since August 2022;33,300 migrants to Chicago since August 2022;3,400 migrants to Philadelphia since November 2022; 17,300 migrants to Denver since May 18; and1,500 migrants to Los Angeles since June 14.
Abbott said Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps created by the Biden Administration’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
President Joe Biden’s open border policies.
Governor Abbott met with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson on March 28 in Austin to urge him to pass border security legislation that will help stop illegal crossings between ports of entry along the southern border.
During the meeting, Abbott told Johnson that the border crisis is both unacceptable and avoidable. Additionally, Abbott touted the success of Texas’ comprehensive border security efforts through Operation Lone Star, including deploying thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers, installing razor wire, and building the Texas border wall.