Over 110 undocumented immigrants have been apprehended in the most recent Texas border operation, known as “Colony Ridge.”. This activity is part of a larger initiative called Operation Lone Star, which brings together the Texas Department of Public Safety, the National Guard, and state government under Governor Greg Abbott’s direction. According to the Texas Governor’s Office, the multi-agency effort remains committed to securing the border and halting the illegal trafficking of drugs, weapons, and humans into Texas, as well as battling transnational crime.
According to an official statement provided by the Texas Governor’s Office, the operation has resulted in the arrest of over 531,500 people for illegally crossing the border, as well as more than 51,000 felony arrests. However, the figures reveal a deeper story—a tale of cause and effect, of steps taken and outcomes designed to correct what the current Texas administration sees as the shortcomings of an open border policy.
“Operation Lone Star continues to work to undo the damage caused by the Biden Administration,” the Texas Governor’s Office stated. The operation appears to be a direct response to federal rules that are seen as excessively lax, implying that such permissiveness has resulted in a huge influx of contraband and unauthorized crossings. Texas officials argue that every individual caught and every ounce of drugs seized as a result of the state’s operations would have otherwise found its way into Texan neighborhoods and then into cities and towns across the country.
Texas law enforcement reports seizing over 625 million fatal doses of fentanyl as part of Operation Lone Star—a stunning amount that, according to the state, highlights the sheer volume and potential impact of the narcotics seized. According to an announcement from the Texas Governor’s Office, this amount reflects enough dosages “to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States, Mexico, and Canada combined.”. Whether or not this estimate correctly reflects the situation, it is a statistic intended to scare and caution—a number designed to elicit a strong response.