Texas law enforcement this week nabbed a smuggler at the southern border who was carrying seven illegal immigrants in his vehicle – as well as massive haul of child pornography.
Video obtained by Fox News shows Texas Department of Public Safety officers chasing and arresting the human smuggler near Bracketville, Texas.
TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD SHOOTS AT MIGRANT SMUGGLER WHO DROVE AT THEM: SOURCES
After officers apprehended him, they found that he had seven illegal immigrants in his vehicle. Officials also told Fox News that he had more than 100 images and more than 30 videos of child pornography in his car.
CAUTION: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in the middle of last year to combat the wave of illegal immigration and drugs coming through the border. The operation integrates law enforcement and deploys them to high-threat areas to combat smugglers moving drugs and people into the state. Abbott has accused the federal government of not doing enough to protect border states like Texas.
There were approximately 1.7 million migrant encounters in FY 2021, and more than 178,000 in December, with signs that numbers could increase further in FY 2022.
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Abbott and other Republican governors have been highly critical of the Biden administration’s policies, and have warned about the danger of smugglers bringing illegal immigrants and, drugs into the country as well as facilitating other illegal activity. The Biden administration, meanwhile, has blamed “root causes” like violence in Central America for the surge in numbers – while it has launched Operation Sentinel to break up transnational criminal organizations.
Earlier this month, Texas National Guard soldiers opened fire at a migrant smuggler who they were apprehending and who drove straight at them – causing them to defend themselves, multiple law enforcement sources told Fox News.
It occurred in the same area where Texas National Guard members were shot at from Mexico just last month. The suspected shooters were believed to be gunmen from a drug cartel, but it was not clear.
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This week, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich issued a legal opinion arguing that the crisis at the border constitutes an “invasion” – a move that potentially gives the governor more powers to act against it.
