Gov. Landry extends Operation Lone Star

Operation Lone Star has been extended, Governor Jeff Landry announced today.

On March 7, 2024, House Bill 19 was signed into law, which funded the deployment of Louisiana National Guard (LANG) members to the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas.

LANG spent around $2.2 million of the $3 million previously approved for the initial mission that ended in June. Texas submitted an additional request for engineer soldiers to utilize the remaining $800,000, officials report.

Soldiers will remain in Texas until mid-November, when the final military contingent begins movement back to Louisiana, according to Landry.

Landry said the extension of the operation comes with the support of Senate President Cameron Henry, Speaker Phillip Devillier, Brig. Gen. Thomas Friloux, and GOHSEP Director Jacques Thibodeaux.