Texas Governor Greg Abbott has emphasized the achievements of Operation Lonestar, a state-led initiative to combat illegal immigration and the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang. The operation, launched in March 2021, involves collaboration with over a dozen other states and boasts significant results, including a substantial reduction in illegal crossings and a high number of criminal apprehensions.

According to Governor Abbott, Operation Lonestar has led to approximately 530,400 apprehensions of illegal immigrants and nearly 50,000 criminal arrests, with over 42,900 felony charges. A key component of the operation has been the construction of a border wall by Texas, a move undertaken independently after President Biden halted federal border wall construction.

Governor Abbott has actively addressed the threat posed by the TdA gang, designating it as a foreign terrorist organization and establishing a specialized task force to target and apprehend its members. Four TdA members were arrested attempting to cross the border on New Year's Eve, with one suspected of being a high-ranking member.

As part of Operation Lonestar, Texas has seized over 620 million lethal doses of fentanyl, a quantity sufficient to endanger the entire populations of the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The state has also transported over 119,400 migrants to cities with sanctuary policies, including Washington D.C., New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver, and Los Angeles.

The financial cost of Operation Lonestar to Texas exceeds $11 billion, covering expenses related to deploying National Guard and DPS troopers, migrant transportation, barrier installation, gang enforcement, and border wall construction. Despite the substantial investment, Governor Abbott asserts that the operation has resulted in an 87% decrease in illegal crossings into Texas and anticipates continued collaboration with the federal government on border security.