Texas Arrests Mexican Mafia Gang Members, Human Smugglers

TEXAS, December 13 - December 13, 2024 | Austin, Texas | Press Release

Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard continue to work together to secure the border; stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into Texas; and prevent, detect, and interdict transnational criminal activity between ports of entry.
   
Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to over 529,500 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 49,400 criminal arrests, with more than 42,500 felony charges. In the fight against the fentanyl crisis, Texas law enforcement has seized over 588 million lethal doses of fentanyl—enough to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States and Mexico combined during this border mission. 
  
Texas has decreased illegal crossings into the state by over 87% due to our historic border security mission. Fewer illegal crossings into Texas means fewer migrants to transport to sanctuary cities. Since the start of Texas’ transportation program, the state has transported:

• Over 12,500 migrants to Washington, D.C. since April 2022
• Over 45,900 migrants to New York City since August 2022
• Over 36,900 migrants to Chicago since August 2022
• Over 3,400 migrants to Philadelphia since November 2022
• Over 19,200 migrants to Denver since May 2023
• Over 1,500 migrants to Los Angeles since June 2023

 
Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps created by the federal government’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 open border policies.
 
RECENT HIGHLIGHTS FROM OPERATION LONE STAR:
 
Governor Abbott: Texas National Guard Reinforces Razor Wire Barriers In El Paso
 
On Monday, Governor Abbott shared photos on X, formerly known as Twitter, showcasing Texas National Guard soldiers installing and reinforcing razor wire barriers near El Paso.
 
These effective border barriers are strategically placed in front of a large levy drain, allowing water and debris to flow while stopping illegal crossings into Texas.
 
Last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in favor of Texas’ right to build razor wire border barriers. 

Governor Abbott: Texas’ Border Wall Construction Continues In Maverick County
 
Earlier this week on X, Governor Abbott shared footage of ongoing border wall construction in Maverick County.
 
Until Texas has a partner in the White House, the state will continue to build miles of border wall to keep the state and nation safe.

Governor Abbott: Texas Continues To Deny Illegal Immigration At Border
 
On Wednesday, Governor Abbott highlighted a photo on X showing a Texas National Guard soldier turning back a group of migrants attempting to illegally cross the border from Mexico into Texas.
 
Under the direction of the Governor, Texas National Guard soldiers along the southern border continue to hold the line and deny illegal entry into the state.

DPS Arrests Confirmed Mexican Mafia Gang Member In Kinney County
 
DPS troopers arrested two illegal immigrants, Nery Flores Flores (left) and Usvaldo Castaneda Loma (right), for trespassing on a private ranch in Kinney County this week. Both men, from Mexico, attempted to evade troopers but were quickly apprehended.
 
Flores Flores is a confirmed Mexican Mafia gang member and is a deported aggravated felon wanted on an immigration violation. He served 16 years in prison for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and was deported to Mexico in 2020. 

WATCH: DPS Arrests Human Smuggler From El Salvador Following High-Speed Pursuit
 
A smuggler in a black Ford F-150 led DPS troopers on a high-speed pursuit on IH-35 in La Salle County on Wednesday. During the pursuit, the smuggler, Kevin Cruz Diaz, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, evaded recklessly. After DPS troopers successfully deployed a tire deflation device, Diaz stopped and was arrested.
 
Diaz is charged with ten counts of smuggling of persons with a firearm, evading arrest, theft of a firearm, and possession of controlled substances. DPS troopers referred all 10 illegal immigrants from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico to Border Patrol.

Texas National Guard Reinforces Miles Of Razor Wire Barriers Along Border
 
This week, Texas National Guard engineers installed dozens of miles of razor wire barriers on a new stretch of key terrain to block illegal border crossings from Mexico.
 
These barriers have been effective to stop illegal border crossings in low water areas along the Rio Grande River.

Texas National Guard Boat Teams Continue To Patrol Southern Border
 
Last week, Texas National Guard riverine boat teams worked around-the-clock patrolling the Rio Grande River to stop illegal border crossings from Mexico into Texas.
 
Texas National Guard Staff Sergeant (Sgt) Isais Mayen highlighted the critical work his brush and riverine operations team does conducting missions on the Rio Grande River from Roma to Brownsville.
 
“This week, while conducting a river assessment, we noticed a potential (cartel-associated) drop-off location used for illegal trafficking,” said Staff Sgt. Mayen. “To prevent future use of this location, we alerted our law enforcement partners of the activity.” 

WATCH: Texas National Guard Installs Anti-Climb Barriers In Eagle Pass
 
Texas National Guard soldiers continue to work around-the-clock installing anti-climb barriers across the southern border. In Eagle Pass, Specialist (SPC) Leonardo Cartagena, an engineer working with Task Force Eagle, details the importance of adding more border barriers to ensure the safety of Texans living in communities along the southern border.
 
“Operation Lone Star is important to me because I was born and raised here in Texas,” said Spc. Cartagena. “The saying 'Texans helping Texans' is definitely dear and true to my heart. At the end of the day, it’s also about securing the towns and making sure no bad people come into town to hurt our loved ones and [ensure] that we’re keeping each other safe.”