Operation Lone Star, a joint effort by Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard, continues to make waves as it claims major victories in its border security initiatives. Announcing over 517,000 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 45,700 criminal arrests, the operation has also seized over half a billion lethal doses of fentanyl, according to an official statement from the Governor's Office.

Additionally, Texas claims to have bused thousands of migrants to various cities across the United States, in an effort to directly call out and manage what they perceive as inaction from the Biden-Harris administration on border security. The Governor's office detailed the transportation of migrants, over 12,500 sent to Washington, D.C., and over 45,900 to New York City, just to start to name a few destinations.

As mentioned in the same press release, Governor Abbott issued a scathing statement on Vice President Harris' oversight, or lack thereof, regarding the border crisis. "More than three years ago, I sent a letter to Vice President Harris," the Governor lamented. "I implored the Vice President, in her capacity as President Biden’s point-person on illegal immigration, i.e. Border Czar, to take swift action to address nine urgent concerns."

A legal triumph for Operation Lone Star came through the Fifth Circuit Court's decision, allowing Texas to maintain its floating marine barriers along the Rio Grande River. Governor Abbott hailed this as a victory, stating, “We fought to keep these barriers in the water, and with the Fifth Circuit's decision, that is exactly where they will remain,” hinting at his determination to fully continue the border security mission, as noted in a statement from the Governor's Office.

Highlighting the operation's enforcement actions, DPS officers intercepted a suspicious plane in Kingsville, which led to the discovery and Border Patrol referral of eight illegal immigrants. In a separate incident, a 14-year-old Mexican national was arrested and charged with evading arrest and smuggling after leading DPS troopers on a high-speed chase.

Not to be unnoticed, Texas National Guard members played a key role in the seizure of over 256 pounds of narcotics and the apprehension of suspected illegal immigrants during a three-day manhunt, where advanced optical technology was pivotal. These and other measures defined by Governor Abbott portray Texas' staunch commitment to its tough stance on border control and immigration.