DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS: 165,000 Illegal Crossings Stopped by Abbott’s ‘Operation Lone Star’

Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) and his State Troopers have stepped up big time to secure the southern border; more than 165,000 illegal migrants have been apprehended thanks to new initiatives spearheaded by the Texas governor.

He calls it Operation Lone Star and it’s a huge success.

“Approximately 9,900 of the 165,000 were arrested on criminal trespassing charges, including 2,200 in the Del Rio, Texas, region, where tens of thousands of Haitian migrants came across the border in September and created a makeshift camp under the international bridge,” the Washington Examiner reports.

“Lt. Chris Olivarez, spokesman for the Texas DPS’s South Region, said during a press conference Thursday that his agency’s troopers, along with National Guard soldiers, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department have apprehended and referred 165,000 people to relevant law enforcement for arrest over the past nine months,” the Examiner continues.

“One thing about Del Rio that makes it unique is that we’re seeing a lot of smugglers [and] individuals coming from larger cities — Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, even out of state,” said Olivarez. “They come down to the Rio Grande Valley or more specifically to Del Rio to become human smugglers because a lot … has been advertised on social media by the criminal organizations.”

Back in May, Abbott wrote a letter to the Texas Military Department, informing them of the new actions that would be taken to secure the border.

“Beginning on May 31, 2021, I have issued multiple proclamations certifying under Section 418.014 of the Texas Government Code that the surge of individuals unlawfully crossing the Texas-Mexico border poses an ongoing and imminent threat of disaster for certain counties and agencies in the State of Texas,” Abbott wrote. “To respond to this disaster and secure the rule of law at our Southern border, more manpower is needed—in addition to the troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and soldiers from the Texas National Guard I have already deployed there—and DPS needs help in arresting those who are violating state law.”