Texas Border: Idaho Sends Troopers to Help Secure Rio Grande
13 other states are participating in "Operation Lone Star"
Idaho has announced its fourth border security mission - sending Idaho State Police (ISP) Troopers to join Texas State Troopers and Texas troops to secure the Rio Grande as part of "Operation Lone Star."
(Note: some links in this article lead to material published on the Newsbreak platform before the establishment of US Border News)
All thirteen Idaho troopers temporarily re-assigned to Texas are members of the ISP Domestic Highway Enforcement (DHE) team (a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force).
“In Idaho and across the country, reports of human trafficking are on the rise. Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies are seizing record amounts of fentanyl, meth, and other dangerous drugs. In too many cases, this illegal activity can be traced right back to cartels and other bad actors taking advantage of our lawless southern border. The troopers we deploy to Texas come back with better knowledge to stop these perpetrators in our state. As they have done before, our troopers will debrief and train their law enforcement colleges around the state so we can protect Idahoans from these deadly, dangerous threats.” - Idaho Governor Brad Little
Idaho was one of the first states to send State Troopers and - in the case of Florida - troops to Texas in support of "Operation Lone Star" in May of 2023. Since then Florida's state troopers have maintained a presence along the Rio Grande border with Mexico.
Since then, eleven other states have come to Texas's aid - totaling thirteen states (all with Republican Governors) participating in the border security mission to secure 1,254 miles of the Rio Grande from cartel human traffickers and drug smugglers.
Meanwhile, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Lt. Chris Olivarez has released an eye-opening series of photos captured by his agency along the Texas border with Mexico as his agency continues to play a key role in "Operation Lone Star."
The first photo shows a man decked out from head-to-toe in camouflage on the Texas side of the Rio Grande:
This man isn't one of the Texas troops assigned to patrol the border. He is most likely a cartel smuggling guide. Now let's move on to the second picture released by the Texas DPS:
That photo shows two men who have stripped down to their underwear sprinting through Texas ranchland after they've just waded across the Rio Grande from Mexico. The trash bags they are carrying most likely contain a change of dry clothing.
Now let's move on to the third photo released by the Texas DPS:
This image shows a man climbing over the "Border Wall" as another man - who has also illegally crossed the border from Mexico - waits for him on the Texas side below.
Incidentally - "Operation Lone Star" has been financing the expansion of the "Border Wall" in Texas with state funds after President Biden ordered a halt to construction on his first day in office. In August 2024, a federal court ordered the Biden administration to continue border wall construction using congressionally appropriated funds, in response to a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Finally, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has just announced that - so far- "Operation Lone Star" has resulted in 527,600 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 49,000 criminal arrests, with more than 42,200 felony charges, and the seizure of over 573 million lethal doses of fentanyl.
Illegal crossings into the state have also decreased by over 87% since "Operation Lone Star" began and Texas has transported:
• Over 12,500 migrants to Washington, D.C. since April 2022
• Over 45,900 migrants to New York City since August 2022
• Over 36,900 migrants to Chicago since August 2022
• Over 3,400 migrants to Philadelphia since November 2022
• Over 19,200 migrants to Denver since May 2023
• Over 1,500 migrants to Los Angeles since June 2023
Do you support "Operation Lone Star"?
Share your opinions in the comments to this article.
Abrazos,
Jack Beavers
