The Texas Department of Public Safety troopers are hard at work on Governor Greg Abbott’s border security mission, Operation Lone Star. Recently, they have been making arrests of “special interest aliens,” primarily men from countries of foreign concern, including Iran, a U.S. State Department designated State Sponsor of Terrorism.
According to reports, Texas DPS troopers have been apprehending these SIAs in increasing numbers. In the past week alone, dozens of SIAs have been arrested, as reported by Texas DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez on social media.
Special Interest Aliens are noncitizens who are identified as having a possible nexus to terrorism based on an analysis of their travel patterns. While this designation does not necessarily mean the individual is a terrorist, it does indicate a potential national security risk to the United States, requiring heightened screening and further investigation.
In a recent operation on October 11, DPS troopers apprehended 165 foreign nationals in Quemado, with 14 of them identified as SIAs from Iran, Egypt, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. President Joe Biden has extended executive orders citing national security threats related to Iran, ISIS, Syria, Afghanistan, and the DRC.
In addition to the SIAs, DPS troopers have also arrested illegal foreign nationals for criminal trespass from various countries. Furthermore, they have rescued unaccompanied alien children (UACs) between the ages of 10 and 17, who claimed to have sponsors in different states across the country.
All UACs are handed over to Border Patrol, who then processes them and turns them over to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement. However, HHS ORR has faced allegations of abuse and mismanagement, prompting multiple congressional investigations.
In another operation, Texas DPS troopers apprehended a large group of illegal border crossers, including family groups, UACs, and SIAs from Egypt and Turkey. Last month, troopers also apprehended SIAs from Turkey, all single military-age men.
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has filed a bill to require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to publish data on apprehended SIAs entering the U.S. The number of SIAs arrested under the Biden-Harris administration has reached at least 73,000, not including potential SIAs among the 2 million known “gotaways.”
Overall, the efforts of Texas DPS troopers in Operation Lone Star continue to be crucial in addressing border security concerns and safeguarding national security.
