Texas Governor Greg Abbott, alongside both the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Texas National Guard, announced continuing efforts to fortify the state’s southern border. Their combined mission, dubbed Operation Lone Star, has reportedly resulted in over half a million apprehensions and thousands of criminal arrests. The operation also boasted the seizure of significant quantities of fentanyl, according to a recent press release by the Office of the Texas Governor.
Recent updates to the mission further outlined a decrease in illegal crossings into Texas—stated to be over 86 percent—claiming the efforts have successfully begun to slow the transfer of migrants to various sanctuary cities across the nation. Despite these claims, critics have questioned the methods and metrics used by Texas officials to quantify success under Operation Lone Star. The transportations have included over 12,500 migrants to Washington, D.C., over 45,900 to New York City, and thousands more to other major cities.
In a statement, Governor Abbott spoke at the South Texas Property Rights Association’s annual meeting, highlighting actions against the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. “For nearly two decades, the South Texas Property Rights Association has fought to ensure that our border with Mexico is safe and secure,” Abbott told the Office of the Texas Governor. “Our latest battle has been against Tren de Aragua. Which is why last month, I ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to launch a statewide operation directly targeting Tren de Aragua to deter and disrupt their criminal operations.” This effort included the designation of the group as a foreign terrorist organization, the establishment of a TdA Strike Team, and the recent arrest of a TdA gang member in Houston…