Operation Lone Star Holds The Biden-Harris Administration Accountable

TEXAS, August 9 - August 9, 2024 | Austin, Texas | Press Release

Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard continue 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. 
 
Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to over 517,400 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 45,900 criminal arrests, with more than 39,800 felony charges. In the fight against the fentanyl crisis, Texas law enforcement has seized over 518 million lethal doses of fentanyl, enough to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States and Mexico combined during this border mission.     
 
Texas has also transported:

• Over 12,500 migrants to Washington, D.C. since April 2022
• Over 45,900 migrants to New York City since August 2022
• Over 36,900 migrants to Chicago since August 2022
• Over 3,400 migrants to Philadelphia since November 2022
• Over 19,200 migrants to Denver since May 2023
• Over 1,500 migrants to Los Angeles since June 2023

 
Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps created by the Biden-Harris 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 and Vice President Kamala Harris’ open border policies.    
 
RECENT HIGHLIGHTS FROM OPERATION LONE STAR:
 
Governor Abbott Issues Executive Order Requiring Texas Hospitals To Collect, Report Healthcare Costs For Illegal Immigrants
 
Governor Abbott issued an Executive Order yesterday directing the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to collect information on illegal immigrants who use Texas public hospitals for inpatient and emergency care and report incurred healthcare costs due to the Biden-Harris Administration’s reckless open border policies.
 
“Texas should not have to shoulder the burden of financially supporting medical care for illegal immigrants,” said Governor Abbott. “That is why I issued an Executive Order requiring the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to collect and report healthcare costs for illegal immigrants in our state. Texas will hold the Biden-Harris Administration accountable for the consequences of their open border policies, and we will fight to ensure that they pay back Texas for their costly and dangerous policies.”
 
Read the Governor’s Executive Order here.

Governor Abbott: Texas National Guard Boat Teams Deny Illegal Entry
 
Yesterday, Governor Abbott on X, formerly known as Twitter, shared photos of Texas National Guard boat teams patrolling the Rio Grande River to stop migrants from illegally crossing.
 
The Governor noted that Operation Lone Star continues to work around the clock while the Biden-Harris Administration refuses to secure the southern border. 

Governor Abbott: Operation Lone Star Engineers Triple Razor Wire In Eagle Pass
 
Governor Abbott earlier this week showcased Texas National Guard engineers working on Operation Lone Star installing razor wire barriers along the Texas-Mexico border in Eagle Pass.
 
Texas will continue to hold the line until the Biden-Harris Administration fulfills its constitutional duty to secure the border. 

Governor Abbott: Biden, Harris Border Allow Known Terrorist Into America
 
On Monday, Governor Abbott slammed President Biden and Vice President Harris for releasing nearly 100 illegal immigrants on the terror watchlist into the country.
 
Due to the Biden-Harris Administration’s reckless and dangerous open border policies, Texas has deployed thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers and DPS troopers, floating marine barriers, and hundreds of miles of razor wire. Texas is also the only state in U.S. history to build its own border wall. 

WATCH: Daily Caller Ride Along With DPS Troopers Working Operation Lone Star 
 
Daily Wire reporter Kassy Akiva recently went on a ride along with DPS Trooper Jaclyn Gooding who is stationed along the border. During the ride along, Trooper Gooding showed the dangers of working the border and patrolling state highways for human smuggling.
 
“We’re looking for cars that are out of place for whatever reason based off the area that they’re from or the travel pattern or it could just look off,” said Trooper Gooding. “Anything that we could find that might be an indicator of human smuggling. In April, we encountered two suspects that were involved in a human smuggling operation. They were smuggling six undocumented individuals. We were able to capture the two individuals that were involved in the smuggling event as well as the undocumented individuals. Both of the suspects had firearms, and the driver had an active warrant for murder out of Louisiana."

DPS Arrests Venezuelan Gang Member In El Paso
 
In El Paso, DPS arrested a human smuggling scout wearing a U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) tracking watch during a traffic stop this week. The scout, Maikel Diaz-Guerra, 24, of Venezuela, is a confirmed Tren de Aragua gang member and had been arrested only a few days prior for another smuggling attempt.
 
Guerra was serving as the lookout for the other driver involved, 17-year-old Gildardo Perez III. Inside his vehicle, DPS found three illegal immigrants concealed in the rear seat. Guerra and Perez were booked into jail for smuggling of persons. The other three illegal immigrants were referred to Border Patrol.

DPS Brush Team Arrests Three Human Smugglers In Hidalgo County
 
A DPS Brush Team working an anti-smuggling operation arrested three smugglers in Sullivan City. The smuggling guide, 40-year-old Jesus Alejandro, an illegal immigrant from Mexico and confirmed Paisa gang member, guided a group of illegal immigrants across the Rio Grande River to a load-up vehicle. The load-up vehicle was occupied by Sebastian Garcia, 17, and a 16-year-old juvenile, both involved in human smuggling. 
 
Troopers disrupted the human smuggling attempt and arrested the trio for human smuggling. Alejandro and Garcia were transported to the Hidalgo County Jail, and the 16-year-old was jailed at a juvenile detention center. Four illegal immigrants were referred to Border Patrol. 

DPS Brush Team Arrests 10 Illegal Immigrants For Criminal Trespass In Maverick County
 
Last weekend, a DPS Brush Team tracked down two separate groups of illegal immigrants trespassing on a private ranch in Maverick County.
 
10 illegal immigrants from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico were arrested and jailed for criminal trespass.

WATCH: DPS Arrests Smuggler After Vehicle Catches On Fire In Laredo 
 
DPS troopers followed a human smuggler driving a Nissan Pathfinder on a high-speed pursuit in Laredo. The smuggler, Miguel Vasquez from Laredo, recklessly evaded throughout neighborhoods and disregarded stop signs. During the pursuit, Vasquez’s vehicle sustained damages causing it to catch on fire.
 
After a short foot pursuit, Vasquez was arrested by DPS troopers and charged with smuggling of persons and evading arrest. Five illegal immigrants being transported inside the vehicle, from Mexico, were referred to Border Patrol.

WATCH: DPS Arrests Smuggler After High-Speed Pursuit Through Private Properties In Edwards County
 
In Edwards County, DPS troopers were led on a high-speed pursuit by a smuggler driving a Ford F-150 on US-377. The smuggler, Arian Banderas-Penoloza, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, rammed through three ranch fences and drove through several private properties. DPS Aircraft Operations Division (AOD) assisted in tracking the suspect vehicle as it evaded troopers.
 
Penoloza, along with nine other illegal immigrants, bailed out of the Ford F-150 and ran in different directions. With further assistance from AOD tracking in the air, Penoloza was eventually arrested and charged with three counts of criminal trespass and three counts of criminal mischief. Penoloza also faces federal charges of smuggling of persons.

Texas National Guard Uses Aviation To Secure Border
 
Last week, two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters transported a small unit of Texas National Guard soldiers from a nearby base to a remote area along the Rio Grande River to conduct a drone team operation. 
 
The soldiers working on Operation Lone Star used drone technology to stop illegal border crossings along a well-known route. 

Texas National Guard Assists Law Enforcement In Border Apprehensions
 
Under Operation Lone Star, Texas National Guard soldiers continue to bolster border security efforts in Mission and along the Texas-Mexico border. Earlier this week, Sergeant Richard Mendoza with Delta Company Brush Riverine Team in Hidalgo County assisted local law enforcement with personnel and technology in the search and apprehension of individuals who illegally crossed the border in the night. Sgt. Mendoza detailed how the robust partnership between the Texas National Guard and local law enforcement partners helps support their mission to protect Texans and secure the border.
 
“We assisted local law enforcement with the search and apprehension of illegal immigrants,” said Sgt. Mendoza. “We caught some people that were illegal crossing and assisted in the apprehension of them. They were hiding in some brushed up areas and our [Texas Military Department] drones pointed us in that direction to search, and we were able to find the illegal immigrants. Feels good working alongside my guys and accomplishing the mission.”