DPS: Dozens of illegal immigrants arrested from ‘special interest countries’

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety working Operation Lone Star arrested two groups of illegal immigrants that recently tried to enter the United States, the state agency confirmed in a Friday release.

DPS officials said the two groups had many individuals “coming from countries of special interest.” DPS troopers at Eagle Pass found a group of 230 illegal immigrants on Sept. 30; among those, 27 were coming from special interest countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Egypt and India, per the release.

Troopers turned over those 27 immigrants to the federal government due to them “attempting to circumvent lawful entry into the country to avoid detection and [the 27 individuals] came from countries with extensive terrorist activity,” per DPS.

DPS troopers also arrested 41 illegal immigrants and charged them with criminal trespass. Those arrested under that charge were coming from Brazil, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Argentina, Colombia and the Dominican Republic, the release added.

“It is this type of activity, these attempted illegal crossings between the ports of entry by people coming from areas that are hot spots for terrorist activity that clearly highlight the concerns of Governor Abbott and the state of Texas,” DPS Director Steven McCraw said in the release. “These are not illegal immigrants seeking asylum – these are people trying to cross into the United States undetected who may also be trying to do us harm.”

Another incident happened on Oct. 2 regarding a substantial group of illegal immigrants in the Hopedale subdivision area, which is a few miles north of Eagle Pass. DPS troopers took in 135 illegal immigrants during that incident, officials noted.

Operation Lone Star launched in March 2021 and has resulted in more than 47,000 criminal arrests as of Sept. 26, DPS officials said in the release.

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