In March 2021, Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in Texas to combat illegal immigration and Mexican drug cartels. Two years later, this mission jointly overseen by the Texas National Guard and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has made great strides in terms of the number of arrests and seizures of narcotics such as fentanyl.
"Two years into #OperationLoneStar, Texas continues to step up while Pres. Biden refuses to secure the border. Over 355,000 illegal immigrant apprehensions, over 25,000 criminal arrests and over 366 million lethal doses of fentanyl seized," Abbott tweeted.
Two years into #OperationLoneStar, Texas continues to step up while Pres. Biden refuses to secure the border.
▶️ Over 355,000 illegal immigrant apprehensions
▶️ Over 25,000 criminal arrests
▶️ Over 366 million lethal doses of fentanyl seizedRead more ⬇️https://t.co/jCfAtpqt4R
— Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) March 10, 2023
In a statement, the Texas governor's office blamed the border problems on Biden's inability to secure the country's southern border:
Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps left by the Biden Administration's refusal to secure the border. Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Biden's open border policies.
Texas GOP moves forward with border invasion declaration
Lois Kolkhorst, a Republican senator from the state of Texas, introduced a bill that could declare a state of invasion under the U.S. Constitution:
As a sovereign state, (Texas) is entitled as a sovereign state of the United States of America to protect itself against this current foreign drug cartel invasion; this constitutional authority grants the State of Texas the power to defend the state when the state has been invaded, or is ‘in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Texans for Strong Borders Commends State Sen. @loiskolkhorst for Filing a Resolution to Declare an Invasion at the Border pic.twitter.com/1hTEhh1YMi
— Texans for Strong Borders (@StrongBordersTX) March 6, 2023
The state legislator announced two other bills. The first seeks to amend the penal code and increase sentences for illegal immigrants who commit a crime. The second requests that state employees and third parties involved in public work participate in E-Verify, a system by which "employers electronically confirm the employment eligibility of their employees."
