Texas Continues to Protect Fronton Island from Dangerous Cartels

Texas Border Company

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AUSTIN- Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard continue to work together to secure the border, combat the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into Texas, and prevent, detect, and interdict transnational criminal activity between border crossings.

Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has resulted in more than 518,900 arrests of illegal immigrants and more than 46,300 criminal arrests, resulting in more than 40,200 felony charges. In the fight against the fentanyl crisis, Texas law enforcement has seized more than 521 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 reduced illegal border crossings into the state by 87 percent thanks to our historic border security mission. Fewer illegal border crossings into Texas means fewer migrants needing to be transported to sanctuary cities. Since the inception of Texas’ transportation program, the state has transported:

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

Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps left by the Biden-Harris administration’s failure to secure the border. Every individual apprehended or arrested, and every gram of drugs seized, would otherwise have found its way into communities across Texas and the nation because of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ open border policies.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS OF OPERATION LONE STAR:

Governor Abbott: Texas Won’t Give Up Fronton Island

Governor Abbott sent a letter to President Biden and Vice President Harris addressing their continued efforts to undermine Texas’ efforts to secure the Texas-Mexico border.

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“For years, the cartels have been ‘running amok’ in the ‘thick vegetation’ and ‘bullet-riddled structures’ of Fronton Island along the river, staging illegal entries, surveilling state and federal law enforcement, hiding weapons, planting explosives, evading capture, and openly waging war against rival cartels and state and federal officials,” the letter reads. “I will not cede public lands to transnational criminal cartels that smuggle people, weapons, and drugs. Nor will I stand idly by as these threats endanger Texas law enforcement and communities.”

Read the Governor’s letter to President Biden and Vice President Harris.

Governor Abbott: Texas Deploys Modular Mobile Surveillance System

Yesterday, Governor Abbott shared photos on X, formerly known as Twitter, of Texas National Guard soldiers deploying an all-terrain vehicle surveillance system to secure the border.

Texas will continue to use every resource and strategy to protect our state – and our country – from the Biden-Harris administration’s border crisis.

WATCH: DPS Arrests Smuggler, Arrests Illegal Immigrants in Starr County

A DPS officer pulled over a Mercury passenger car in Starr County this week. After driving to the rear of a residence, the driver and several occupants jumped out of the vehicle and ran in different directions.

DPS officers located the driver, Armando De La Cruz of Starr County, and arrested him for evading arrest and smuggling persons. Four illegal immigrants were also apprehended and referred to Border Patrol.

WATCH: DPS Arrests Two Human Smugglers in Val Verde County

During a traffic stop on US-277 in Val Verde County, a DPS officer discovered three illegal immigrants from Mexico attempting to hide in the backseat of a Toyota Corolla. Two of the three illegal immigrants attempted to evade capture and run into the brush, but were apprehended.

DPS officers arrested the driver and passenger, Callie Chreene and Mikayla Bogany of Shepherd, Texas, on three counts of human smuggling. All three illegal immigrants were referred to Border Patrol.

Texas National Guard engineers continue to secure Fronton Island

Texas National Guard engineers continue to clear and fortify Fronton Island so law enforcement and ground forces can combat transnational criminal activity. Engineers are working around the clock to repair damaged roads for law enforcement partners and reinforce barbed wire to deter and repel illegal crossings to the st.

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