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August 5, 2022 | Austin, Texas | Press Release

Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard are continuing to work together to secure the border, stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into Texas, and prevent, detect, and interdict transnational criminal behavior between ports of entry.

Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to more than 290,700 migrant apprehensions and more than 18,000 criminal arrests, with more than 15,400 felony charges reported. In the fight against fentanyl, DPS has seized over 325.9 million lethal doses throughout the state. Texas has also transported over 6,500 migrants to the nation's capital--and now New York City--since beginning the busing mission in April to provide much-needed relief to our overwhelmed border communities.

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.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS FROM OPERATION LONE STAR:

Governor Abbott Announces First Bus Of Migrants Arrives In New York City

Governor Abbott today announced the arrival of the first group of migrants bused to New York City from Texas. New York City will now be a drop-off location with Washington, D.C. for the busing strategy as part of the Governor's response to the Biden Administration's open border policies that are overwhelming Texas communities.

"In addition to Washington, D.C., New York City is the ideal destination for these migrants, who can receive the abundance of city services and housing that Mayor Eric Adams has boasted about within the sanctuary city, said Governor Abbott. I hope he follows through on his promise of welcoming all migrants with open arms so that our overrun and overwhelmed border towns can find relief."

Read the Governor's announcement.

Governor Abbott Invites Mayors of NYC, D.C. To Texas Border

On Monday, Governor Abbott sent a letter to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, inviting the mayors to visit Texas southern border to see the humanitarian crisis firsthand. With President Bidens open border policies continuing to invite record-high numbers of illegal immigrants and transnational criminal activity into Texas communities, the Governors migrant busing mission has provided much-needed relief to overwhelmed local communities along the border.

"As Governor, I invite you to visit our border region to see firsthand the dire situation that only grows more urgent with each passing day, and to meet with the local officials, who like yourselves, realize this matter deserves immediate federal action, reads the letter.

Read the full letter.

WATCH: Governor Abbott Discusses Democrat Mayors Reaction To Texas' Busing Strategy

In an interview with Fox News Sean Hannity, Governor Abbott pointed out the hypocrisy of the New York City and Washington, D.C. mayors, who were unconcerned about the influx of illegal immigrants when it only affected southern border states like Texas. With buses of migrants arriving in her city, D.C. Mayor Bowser last week requested assistance from the National Guard in managing newly arrived migrants into her city.

As soon as they have to deal with the real consequences of the crisis, they are up in arms calling for the National Guard when they are only dealing with a faction of what we have to deal with every single day, Governor Abbott said. Were going to keep sending those buses up there until they fully understand, and most importantly, until the Biden Administration does its job to enforce the laws concerning the border."

WATCH: Governor Abbott Stresses Need For Federal Response To Border Crisis

This week, Governor Abbott joined Maria Bartiromo for Fox Nations Broken Border Crisis Summit to discuss how President Bidens open border policies have led to chaos at the southern border. With the Biden Administration undoing President Trumps major border security initiatives, Texas is left responding to the crisis by busing migrants to the nations capital--and New York City. The Governor notes that more than 6,000 people have been bused to Washington, D.C. since the April launch of the mission, but thousands more illegally cross the border each day.

If we could educate more leaders across this country about the chaos caused by the Biden Administration, that would compel the Administration to step up and do its job under the Constitution and enforce the immigration laws that have been passed by Congress, said Governor Abbott.

WATCH: Governor Abbott Rebukes D.C., NYC Mayors' Claims Illegal Immigration Is Texas' Problem

Governor Abbott discussed with Fox News host Jesse Watters the ongoing border crisis and how it affects national security for the entire nation, not just Texas and other southern border states. Following New York City Mayor Adams' claims that Texas bears responsibility for the thousands of illegal immigrants crossing the border each day, the Governor invited Mayor Adams and D.C. Mayor Bowser to visit the southern border and see firsthand the magnitude of the chaos created by President Biden's open border policies.

"They're up in arms about a few thousand people coming into their communities over the past few months. In any one sector in the State of Texas, we have more than 5,000 people coming into that sector every single day," said Governor Abbott. "Our communities are overrun."

WATCH: DPS Lt. Olivarez Gives Fox Nation Tour Of DPS Drug Warehouse, Describes Coordinated Smuggling Effort

DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez participated in Maria Bartiromos Broken Border Crisis Summit and gave a tour of the DPS drug warehouse in McAllen, where bundles of illegal drugs seized by Operation Lone Star are processed by DPS personnel. With dangerous cartels running multibillion-dollar smuggling businesses, Lt. Olivarez explains that once the bundles of packaged drugs are carried across the border they are broken up at stash houses and smuggled further into the country.

What were seeing thats unique from previous years is luring younger, juvenile Americans into criminal activity like human smuggling and drug smuggling because its being advertised through social media platforms, said Lt. Olivarez. Theres a lower prosecution risk for these juveniles, so theyre exploiting that."

Texas National Guard Employ Advanced Assets To Stop Illegal Activities Along Border

The Texas National Guard use an array of assets to prevent, deter, and interdict transnational criminal activity in Texas border region, including advanced optic systems for detecting illegal crossings. The Tactical Response Units (TRU) employ boats to patrol the Rio Grande and respond to criminal activity and illegal crossings. The boat assets are used on water and land, while TRU soldiers communicate with multiple law enforcement agencies. Through tracking tools and radios, the cross-agency communications is crucial to the mission.

We call in our teams and law enforcement to see if they have any suspected traffic coming across and then move up or down river to try to meet the rafts and people, a member of the TRU boat crew explained.

WATCH: DPS Lt. Olivarez Shares Update On Border Crisis As Bused Migrants Continue To Arrive In D.C.

DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez told Fox News that the communities along the border are completely overwhelmed with the relentless surge of illegal immigrants. He explained how Governor Abbott listened to the concerns of local officials with the migrant busing mission.

I think its a great idea what Governor Abbott has done with inviting these mayors to Texas to see firsthand what were dealing with every day, said Lt. Olivarez. Some of these border communities have a population or 15,000 or 20,000 and theyre seeing 2,000 to 3,000 immigrants who are crossing every single day."

VIDEO: Texas National Guard Soldiers Take Pride In Operation Lone Star Mission

Texas Military soldiers describe their pride in contributing to the Operation Lone Star mission by keeping Texans across the state safe from transnational criminal activity.

This mission is important, because I am out here on the frontlines. We have stopped sex offenders and gang members from coming into our borders, said Senior Airman Gabriel Figueroa. We are protecting our communities in Texas by minimizing the flow of drugs through our borders.

VIDEO: Smuggler Leads DPS Troopers On High-Speed Pursuit In Cloned Work Truck

A smuggler driving a cloned work truck led DPS troopers on a high-speed chase in the Mission area. The smuggler and several illegal immigrants eventually bailed out and ran toward a residence. With the assistance of a U.S. Customs Aircraft Division, the smuggler and seven illegal immigrants were apprehended.

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Operation Lone Star Ramps Up Busing Of Migrants To NYC, D.C. To Provide Relief To Border Communities - Office of the Texas Governor

Rome: Italy is receiving assistance from France and Germany in coping with the migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea from Africa, some two months after a European Union (EU) agreement on distributing migrants arriving by boat, the Interior Ministry in Rome said.

A French delegation had over recent days selected a group of migrants in the south-eastern city of Bari for resettling in France, and Germany was planning a similar mission this month, dpa news agency reported citing the Ministry as saying on Friday.

Italy, the main first destination for migrants attempting the hazardous crossing from the North African coast, has for years called for greater assistance from other EU member states, and on June 10, 21 members agreed on a solidarity mechanism to help southern European members.

To date, 13 member states have stated their willingness to absorb more than 8,000 people, a spokeswoman for the European Commission said this week.

Italian Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese referred to an historic step for the union.

The Italian authorities have registered more than 42,000 migrants arriving by boat so far this year, well above the comparable figure for last year of around 30,000.

If a centre-right political alliance win the September 25 elections, as pre-election polling predicts, they have pledged stronger action against migrants.

Matteo Salvini, head of the right-wing League (Lega) in the grouping, said on Friday during a visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa off the Tunisian coast, that he would like to appoint a special commissioner to halt the flow of migrants.

Giorgia Meloni, leader of the extreme right-wing Fratelli dItalia (Brothers of Italy) party, which is leading in the polls, says she plans to intern migrants in camps in North Africa.

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Italy receives help from France, Germany in migrant crisis - The Siasat Daily

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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced a resolution Monday saying the Department of Homeland Security should commend, rather than punish, the horseback Border Patrol agents who were falsely accused of "whipping" Haitian migrants in Texas last year.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) this month said there was "no evidence" that Border Patrol struck Haitian migrants with their reins or used whips in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 19, 2021, but the agencyrecommended punishment anyway for the agents for infractions such as "offensive" language and unnecessary force.

Cruzs resolution says Border Patrol severely lacked the resources and adequate personnel to handle the Haitian migrant crisis leading up to the Del Rio incident, and that Democrats like Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Homeland Security SecretaryAlejandro Mayorkas "rushed to judgment" when they falsely accused agents of using their horse tack to whip the migrants.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection mounted officers attempt to contain migrants as they cross the Rio Grande from Ciudad Acua, Mexico, into Del Rio, Texas, Sept. 19, 2021. (Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty Images)

The resolution states that the Del Rio incident was "self-inflicted" by Bidens immigration policies, which it says left the southern border "open and unsecured" and allowed a record-breaking 3,271,585 encounters between Border Patrol agents and illegal immigrants since the president took office.

CBP PROPOSES DISCIPLINE FOR TEXAS AGENTS ACCUSED OF WHIPPING HAITIAN MIGRANTS

"The real problem is not the way Border Patrol agents treat illegal aliens, but the way the Biden administration encourages immigrants to break the law while undermining the heroes who are serving our country along the U.S.-Mexico border," Cruz said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

Sen. Ted Cruz on Monday introduced a resolution saying Homeland Security should "commend, rather than punish" Border Patrol agents falsely accused of "whipping" Haitian immigrants. (Greg Nash/Pool via AP)

"Ive been at the border numerous times, and I am always impressed with the humanity that our Border Patrol shows to illegal aliens who have been abused or worse by the cartels who smuggle them to the border," he continued. "The Biden administration was not only complicit in the fake news narrative that developed about our mounted agents in Del Rio last year, but they actively fanned the flames. It is insulting for CBP to recommend those agents be reprimanded following an investigation that produced zero evidence of whipping. Congress must stand for the rule of law, and stand with our brave Border Patrol agents."

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Cruz's resolution says the decision to potentially discipline the four Border Patrol agents, who were placed on administrative after the Del Rio incident,"appears to be politically motivated to provide cover for the rush to judgment and blatant mischaracterization by the Biden administration..."

The resolution commends all Border Patrol agents who responded to the crisis "for their use of restraint" despite a "lack of clear rules of engagement," and it concludes that the Department of Homeland Security "should commend, rather than punish," the agents at the center of the controversy.

Jessica Chasmar is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Jessica.Chasmar@fox.com and on Twitter: @JessicaChasmar.

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Cruz introduces resolution to commend Border Patrol agents falsely accused of whipping migrants - Fox News

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A massive group of hundreds of illegal migrants streamed across the southern border in Texas on Wednesday marking one of the largest groups to flood into the U.S. in recent months, and a dramatic snapshot of the historic crisis facing officials at the southern border.

The hundreds of illegal border crossers were being guided into the water by smugglers, often referred to as "coyotes," at the river in Eagle Pass, Texas, footage of which was captured by Fox News.

Federal sources told Fox there were 2,258 illegal crossings in Del Rio Sector on Tuesday alone. Over a seven-day period, there were more than 13,000 crossings in the sector.

The staggering numbers provide a glimpse into the crisis, which shows no sign of slowing down as crossers from countries including Cuba and Venezuela reach the U.S.

MEXICO TO CONTRIBUTE $1.5 BILLION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AT US SOUTHERN BORDER

July 13, 2022: Migrants stream across the Texas border. (Fox News)

There were more than 239,000 migrant encounters in May alone. The numbers for June have not yet been released by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The crisis escalated shortly after the Biden administration entered office early last year, and has seen consistently high numbers since then. Republicans have blamed the rolling back of Trump-era policies by the administration, as well as narrowed interior enforcement policies and calls for amnesty from Democrats.

The Biden administration has focused its response on targeting "root causes" like poverty, violence and climate change, which it believes is driving the crisis. The White House also views the problem as a regional issue, and has sought a response from other countries.

BIDEN, MEETING WITH MEXICAN PRESIDENT, URGES HELP FROM REGION TO STOP BORDER SMUGGLING

On Tuesday, Biden met with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, during which he highlighted joint efforts with Mexico to stop human traffickers and an operation launched in April to stop smugglers of both migrants and deadly drugs like fentanyl.

"But as you know, Mr. President, we need every country in the region to join us in tracking this multi-billion dollar smuggling industry that's preying on our most vulnerable, including the 53 souls who died in a tractor trailer in San Antonio last month," Biden said.

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At that meeting, Mexico committed to providing $1.5 billion in funding for border infrastructure for processing and security.

Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, with a focus on immigration. He can be reached at adam.shaw2@fox.com or on Twitter: @AdamShawNY

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Massive group of hundreds of migrants streams across southern border as crisis intensifies - Fox News

WASHINGTONToday, U.S. Senator and Ranking Member of the Foreign Relations Committee Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee Rob Portman (R-Ohio) introduced theSolving the Border Crisis Act. This bill will secure the southern border by resuming construction of the border wall, strengthening management and enforcement capacities, and upholding the rule of law.

The Biden administrations dismantling of the effective immigration system it inherited has created a full-blown disaster at the southern border. The past few months of illegal migrant encounters have broken every record in the book, and there is no end in sight unless we secure our border with strong immigration policies,said Risch.Using several of the findings of my recent migration report, Im proud to introduce the Solving the Border Crisis Act to prevent this national security and public health disaster from getting any worse.

The skyrocketing amounts of fentanyl and unlawful migrants coming over our border must stop. The irresponsible and dangerous border policies of this administration are allowing Mexican transnational criminal organizations to traffic record numbers of unlawful migrants and deadly, illicit narcotics into communities in Ohio and throughout the country,"said Portman."Thats why Im proud to introduce this bill to implement the recommendations from our recent border report to end the catastrophe at our border to ensure the safety and security of all Americans."

The Solving the Border Crisis Act will:

Text of the bill can be foundhere.

A one pager on the bill can be foundhere.

Background:Under the Biden administration, illegal immigration has reached some ofthe highest levels ever recorded. In the first eight months of FY 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has already encountered more than1.4 million illegal immigrantsat the southern border compared to almost 1.7 million in FY 2021. Last month, Risch and Portman published a report titledBidens Border Crisis: Examining Policies that Encourage Illegal Migrationoutlining how the administrations policies have exacerbated the crisis at the southern border and incentivized illegal migration. Read the full report,here.

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Risch, Portman Lead Bill to Combat Crisis at the Southern Border - Jim Risch