On Tuesday, Governor Abbott hosted a roundtable discussion and press conference with Senator Brian Birdwell, Representative Ryan Guillen, and Operation Lone Star officials in Weslaco on the state’s ongoing border security efforts after last week designating border security an emergency item for this legislative session.
“I am proud to be here today with Senator Birdwell and Representative Guillen, so they could see firsthand the work being done by the brave men and women of Operation Lone Star and so we could review plans for the next two years,” said Abbott. “We’re sending a message today: If you’re coming toward the United States of America and thinking about making a border crossing in the State of Texas, you’re picking the wrong state to try to enter into.”
During the roundtable discussion, the Governor and state leaders outlined Texas’ expanding strategies to secure our southern border and legislative actions needed to continue funding the state’s historic defense of the border in President Biden’s absence.
Texas leaders, 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 behavior between ports of entry.
Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to over 351,000 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 25,000 criminal arrests, with more than 22,000 felony charges reported. In the fight against fentanyl, DPS has seized over 365 million lethal doses of fentanyl during this border mission.
The officials say Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps left by the Biden Administration’s refusal to secure the border. E