Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is touting the success of the Lone Star State’s crackdown on illegal migration he says has curtailed activity of the dangerous Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and resulted in 50,000 criminal arrests.
Abbott says that since “Operation Lonestar” was launched in 2021, Texas officials and participants in several other states have led to the apprehension of more than 530,400 illegal aliens, 42,900 criminal arrests, and more than 42,900 felony charges, Fox News reported.
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“Our top priority is the safety and security of Texans, including against the growing threat of Tren de Aragua,” Abbott said in a January 10 post on X. “We will not allow this gang to operate or gain a foothold in Texas.”
Our top priority is the safety and security of Texans, including against the growing threat of Tren de Aragua.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 10, 2025
Last week, DPS arrested four TdA criminals attempting to illegally cross the border.
Texas will continue to put these criminals behind bars. https://t.co/C1WsRgs4Gi
Abbott’s office also reported “Operation Lonestar” interdicted more than 620 million lethal doses of fentanyl, “enough to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States, Mexico, and Canada combined.”
The operation and its subsequent initiatives reportedly cost the state $11 billion, but all of that budget was dedicated to keeping Texans safe, rooting out crime, and putting a cap on the activities of dangerous gangs including Tren de Aragua.
“Because of these efforts, Texas has decreased illegal crossings into the state by 87%,” said Abbott spokesman Andrew Mahaleris.
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“Texas has held the line against the Biden-Harris border crisis for the past four years, and Governor Abbott looks forward to continuing to work closely with President Trump and his incoming administration to protect our state and the nation.”
In 2023, Texas passed a law allowing local officials to arrest illegal aliens and deport them from the state, but while that law, Senate Bill 4, has been mired in lawsuits by activists for illegal aliens, the bill has inspired other states to craft similar laws. Most recently, both Idaho and Oklahoma are working on bills similar to Texas’ SB4.
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