Operation Lone Star Expansion Targets Critical Border Sectors
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced the deployment of additional National Guard units to key sectors along the state’s southern border with Mexico, as federal immigration data shows continued high levels of illegal crossings despite recent policy changes in Washington.
The enhanced deployment under Operation Lone Star will focus on the Rio Grande Valley, Del Rio, and Eagle Pass sectors, which have experienced some of the highest volumes of unauthorized border crossings in recent months. State officials report that these areas have seen increased activity from drug cartels and human smuggling operations.
“Texas will continue to step up where the federal government has failed to secure our border,” Abbott said in a statement. “Our National Guard and state troopers are working around the clock to fill the gaps left by federal inaction.”
The additional Guard units will support existing border security operations including surveillance, transportation, and logistical support for Texas Department of Public Safety troopers conducting arrests and interdiction efforts. Since Operation Lone Star began in 2021, Texas authorities report apprehending over 500,000 illegal immigrants and seizing thousands of pounds of fentanyl and other narcotics.
Federal-State Border Security Tensions Continue
The deployment comes amid ongoing tensions between Texas and the Biden administration over border security policies. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of federal authorities’ ability to remove razor wire installed by Texas along key crossing points, though the state has continued its independent enforcement efforts.
Border Patrol encounters along the southwest border reached over 250,000 in December 2023, according to Customs and Border Protection data, highlighting the ongoing challenges facing both federal and state authorities in managing the humanitarian and security crisis at the border.
