Texas steps up efforts to attack the dangerous Tren De Aragua

Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Texas National Guard continue to work together to secure the border; stop the smuggling of drugs, guns and people into Texas; and prevent, detect and interdict transnational criminal activity between ports of entry.

Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has resulted in more than 521,100 apprehensions of illegal immigrants and more than 47,100 criminal arrests, with more than 40,900 felony charges. In the fight against the fentanyl crisis, police in Texas have seized more than 544 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 the number of illegal border crossings into the state by 87% thanks to our historic border security mission. Fewer illegal crossings into Texas mean fewer migrants needing to be transported to sanctuary cities. Since the inception of Texas’ transportation program, the state has transported:

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

Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps left by the federal government’s refusal to secure the border. Every individual apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would otherwise have ended up in communities across Texas and the country because of the open border policy.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS FROM OPERATION LONE STAR:

Governor Abbott Announces $5,000 Reward for Information on Tren De Aragua Gang Members

On Monday, Governor Abbott announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of known or suspected members involved in criminal activity and posing an increasing threat to the public safety of Texans.

“Tren de Aragua has spread terror and carnage in every country they have been to, and Texas will not allow them to gain a foothold in our state,” said Governor Abbott. “Texas will not allow these criminals to use our state as a base to terrorize our citizens. I encourage anyone with information about Tren de Aragua to call the Texas Crime Stoppers hotline or submit an anonymous tip online. With the public’s help, combined with the hard work of federal, state and local law enforcement, we will arrest these dangerous gang members and put them behind bars for good.”

To qualify for the cash rewards, tipsters must provide information to authorities using one of the following methods:

• Call the Texas Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477)

• Submit a tip online through the Texas Department of Public Safety

Read the governor’s full press release for more information.

Governor Abbott: Texas triples razor wire in Eagle Pass

On Wednesday, Governor Abbott shared a photo on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing Texas National Guard soldiers reinforcing barbed wire barriers in Eagle Pass.

Texas will continue to use every tool and strategy to respond to this border crisis.

Governor Abbott: Additional border wall panels installed in Maverick County

Yesterday, Governor Abbott highlighted images from X of Texas’ ongoing border wall construction in Maverick County.

Texas is the first state in American history to build its own border wall.

WATCH: DPS finds five illegal immigrants hiding in wood during a traffic stop

A DPS trooper stopped a Chevy 3500 hauling lumber on I-35 in La Salle County earlier this week. During the traffic stop, the driver, William Meza of Laredo, gave consent to search the vehicle.

DPS troops discovered five illegal immigrants from Honduras and Mexico hiding in the wood. Meza was arrested and charged with five counts of human trafficking likely to cause serious bodily harm or death. The five illegal immigrants were referred to the Border Patrol.

WATCH: Smuggler leads DPS on high-speed chase, crashes into electric pole in Webb County

On Monday, a smuggler in a Chrysler led 300 DPS troopers on a high-speed chase in Webb County. During the chase, the smuggler, Romeo Elias of Laredo, drove recklessly in and out of traffic to elude law enforcement. Romeo eventually lost control and crashed into a utility pole. Several passengers, including Romeo, were rescued.

DPS troopers later found Romeo hiding in the bed of a pickup truck. He was arrested and charged with human smuggling and evading arrest. Seven illegal immigrants were referred to the Border Patrol.

WATCH: NewsNation rides with DPS Troopers

Earlier this week, DPS Troopers took NewsNation’s Ali Bradley on a land, air and sea tour to highlight Texas’ historic efforts to secure the border and stop human smuggling operations. During the drive, DPS troops encountered a total of 36 illegal immigrants, 15 of whom were arrested for criminal trespass.

WATCH: DPS highlights ongoing operations on Fronton Island

Lt. Chris Olivarez joined KRGV News earlier this month for an exclusive look at DPS’ ongoing operations on Fronton Island, one year after the state’s successful operation to take back the island from Mexican drug cartels.

“A year later, there has been no activity at all on this side of the island,” said Lt. Chris Olivarez. “There are still cartel shootings happening on the Mexican side.”

Texas National Guard continues to reinforce Shelby Park in Eagle Pass

Texas National Guard soldiers and engineers working on Operation Lone Star continue to fortify and reinforce border barriers along the Rio Grande River in Shelby Park.

Engineers are installing more anti-climb barriers and three-strand barbed wire to stop illegal crossings. Texas National Guard soldiers are working around the clock to conduct security operations to deter and repel migrants attempting to cross illegally from Mexico into Texas.

WATCH: Texas National Guard engineers reinforce barbed wire barriers along border

The Task Force East Special Response team in Brownsville trained Texas National Guard engineers earlier this week on new techniques to install three-strand razor wire. In the coming weeks, engineers will install more than 140 miles of razor wire along the Texas-Mexico border.

“This is our largest project to date,” SFC said. Paul Tovar. “It’s a distance of 140 miles from Brownsville all the way to Zapata. It will be a big task, but the engineers are ready for it. We look forward to bringing technicians from the line unit, seeing what they are capable of, and getting them trained in wire placement and how we do it.”