Operation Lone Star is Doing More than Catching Immigrants - It’s also Catching Drug Smugglers

Governor AbbottScreenshot from Twitter

Texas Governor Greg Abbott started Operation Lone Star last year to catch migrants who crossed the border. According to Governor Abbott, Texas has bussed almost 10,000 migrants (9,595 to be exact) to Washington, D.C., and New York since April. Then this week migrants were bussed to Chicago.

In addition, Operation Lone Star is cracking down on the emerging drug crisis. The operation has helped the Department of Public Safety seize 335 million lethal doses of fentanyl.

The Texas National Guard and Department of Public Safety have arrested 19,400 criminals and 16,800 had felony charges.

In a recent event on August 28, Governor Abbott delivered remarks on the state's response to drug overdoses at the 2022 Annual Montgomery County Overdose Awareness Day Event. The event was located near Houston.

Governor Abbott said:

“Even though some of the friends and family members we have honored here tonight are no longer with us, they are never gone. Sadly, this is a phenomenon that can be prevented if we all work together and if our federal government gets serious about protecting its citizens by securing our border. Substance abuse is a lifelong battle for many. We should muster every tool and every effort to help our fellow Texans negotiate the perils of addiction and emerge drug-free and healthy.”

In 2021, fentanyl was responsible for the death of 1,700 people.

A mother, Sherry Barton, spoke at the event and said:

"He became involved in heroin and meth. He became addicted and he just wasn’t able to get past it. He lost his life to it."

Then last year, Governor Abbott signed Senate Bill 768 on the punishment of the manufacture or delivery of 4-200 grams of fentanyl is a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison or a maximum of life in prison.

Abbott said:

"The Biden Administration's open border policies have opened the floodgates for this deadly drug to make its way into our communities, but we are taking action to stop this epidemic. By cracking down on the manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl, we will help save lives here in Texas and across America."

Operation Lone Star is filling in the gap that President Biden left wide open.

Do you think Governor Abbott is doing everything he can to limit drug use in Texas?