DPS troopers labeled Pedro Luis Salazar-Cuervo, who remains in a Salvadoran prison, a Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang member based on a photo of him with a tattooed man.
Operation Lone Star
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star to ramp up security along the Texas-Mexico border in March 2021, citing insufficient policies from the federal government. He announced that the state would deploy resources from the Department of Public Safety and the National Guard. The Texas Legislature dedicated nearly $2 billion toward the effort. But the operation has been mired in controversy; National Guard troops have called it a disaster, and migrants arrested on state trespassing charges have gotten caught in confused legal proceedings, their lawyers citing due-process violations. Texas Tribune reporters are covering the border initiative and its effects on the people involved. Help us investigate Operation Lone Star by sharing your experiences living at the border or near it.
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Operation Lone Star
Migrant deported to El Salvador after DPS labeled him a member of Tren de Aragua without evidence, lawyer says
Lawyers for Pedro Luis Salazar-Cuervo deny he is a gang member and say the DPS accusation hinges on a photo they found of him standing next to a man with tattoos.
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Operation Lone Star
Why two border counties are joining Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star after migration slows
The counties hope to access state money to help pay for some criminal justice work, such as prosecuting drug cases and overtime.
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Operation Lone Star
El Paso County officials say it’s time the state pays for Operation Lone Star arrests
County officials issued a disaster declaration Tuesday, saying the state’s mass arrests at the border have cost the county millions of dollars and overwhelmed its criminal justice system.
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Operation Lone Star
Eagle Pass residents have mixed feelings about sharing their city with the National Guard
Texas has sent thousands of soldiers to the border as part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s multibillion-dollar initiative Operation Lone Star. No border town has felt their presence more than Eagle Pass.
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Operation Lone Star
GOP-led states have pledged hundreds of troops and spent millions of dollars to help Texas secure the border this year
The federal government has deployed National Guard to the border for years, but more than a dozen states have dug into their own budgets to send even more personnel
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Operation Lone Star
At half a mile a week, Gov. Greg Abbott’s border wall will take around 30 years and $20 billion to build
The state has built about 34 miles of wall spread out across at least six counties on Texas’ 1,254-mile border with Mexico.
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Operation Lone Star
Texas National Guard is shooting pepper balls to deter migrants at the border
Migrants in Mexico said they’ve been shot by the rounds, which leave bruises and disperse a chemical irritant. The state says Guard members are trained not to aim directly at people.
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Operation Lone Star
Slim majority of Texans support Gov. Greg Abbott’s border buoys, poll finds
The UT poll also touched on a range of other topics, including Texas voters’ opinions on the upcoming presidential election and the U.S. Senate race.
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Operation Lone Star
Lawmakers call for federal investigation into Texas Guard intel ring
The lawmakers’ remarks came after an investigation published Tuesday by Military Times and The Texas Tribune revealed how Texas Guardsmen at the state’s border with Mexico spied on migrants via WhatsApp and allegedly mishandled secret documents.