2/23/2024

Florida Division of Emergency Management Issues Updates on Operation Lone Star

EAGLE PASS, TX - Today, the Florida Division of Emergency Management announced that Governor DeSantis will send off 75 Florida Highway Patrol Troopers and 50 National Guardsmen to continue to support efforts to protect the southern border.

Florida teams have made contact with nearly 150,000 undocumented migrants and assisted the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) with approximately 2,700 arrests including felony charges for human smuggling, child endangerment, family violence, burglary, money laundering, drug charges and paraphernalia, unlawful carry of a weapon, terrorist threats, escape from federal custody, and a suspect with a capital murder warrant.

These actions have been ongoing since May 2023, with more than 2,400 law enforcement officers and Florida National Guardsmen deployed to support these efforts. Since May 2023, Florida officials have interacted with undocumented migrants originating from over 13 different countries, including countries of concern such as Iran, China, and Syria.

In 2021, Governor Ron DeSantis answered the call for support and reinforcements following a letter from Governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Doug Ducey of Arizona, requesting immediate assistance with the security crisis overwhelming law enforcement at the southern border. Under the Emergency Management Compact (EMAC) the following state resources remain deployed in Texas supporting the mass migration crisis at the U.S. southern border: 

Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)

• Florida Department of Law Enforcement members are deployed in Texas assisting with criminal investigations along the border associated with human trafficking and drug and weapon smuggling. Nearly 200 FDLE agents have been deployed during Operation Lone Star since March 2023.
• FDLE agents have assisted Texas DPS with arrests of violent felony suspects including gang members. Suspects were arrested on various Texas state charges including human smuggling, burglary, firearms, smuggling of persons, smuggling of persons with a firearm, child endangerment, escape from federal custody, and possession of a controlled substance.
• As part of the arrests, FDLE agents helped seize cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, firearms, and boxes of ammunition.

Additional information

Current FDLE personal deployed for OLS

• 1 sworn member
• 2 non-sworn members

Current FDLE Equipment deployed for OLS

• 1 command bus

Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) – Florida Highway Patrol (FHP)

• 76 FHP troopers are currently deployed in support of Operation Lone Star.
• The Florida Highway Patrol continues its efforts in supporting Operation Lone Star, as requested by the state of Texas. The Patrol has contacted 149,572 UDA’s (Undocumented Aliens) during 6,266 encounters following entry into the United States.
• Troopers have been involved in 29,181 traffic stops, 2,202 commercial vehicle inspections, one of which was a post-crash from a double fatal.
• FHP has assisted with 499 crashes, (19 of which were fatal) 169 DUI’s, and 282 pursuits.
• These efforts have resulted in 433 narcotic related charges, along with 264 federal and/or state warrant arrest on fugitives, as well as the seizure of 68 firearms/ammunition.
• FHP has been involved with 2,357 Human Smuggling/Human Trafficking charges with 2,487 overall arrests with 2,435 felony charges, 62 stolen vehicles recovered, and 8 vehicles seized.
• FHP has deployed unmanned and traditional aircraft on 4,575 occasions while facilitating multiple missions and assisted in identifying the location of 35,409 UDA’s previously documented in the count. Largest single day encounter with UDA: December 18, 2023, with 13,109.
• FHP Troopers continue to experience and increase in Venezuelan UDA encounters all while still assisting with the following nationalities, Syrian and Vietnamese and continue to encounter multiple UDA’s originating from Afghanistan, Morocco, Nicaragua, Uzbekistan, Ecuador, Brazil, China, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Columbia, El Salvador, and Middle Eastern countries. Through the weekend 2/17-2/18/24, FHP encountered African, Cuban, Bolivian and Iranian UDA’s who were detained and turned over to US Border Patrol.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)

• Currently, there are 11 officers, 1 mechanic, 4 airboats and 9 four-wheel drive vehicles deployed to Texas.
• A total of 32 waves of FWC officers and mechanics have deployed to Texas to assist federal, state, and local agencies with response efforts, including interdictions and turnbacks. A total of 580 FWC personnel have been deployed to Texas to assist state and federal agencies, including 550 four-wheel drive patrol trucks and 24 vessels. 
• FWC’s law enforcement assets assist in responding to federal, state, county, and municipal agencies with border security, information gathering, humanitarian response, search and rescue efforts, officer safety and assistance, emergency medical services, and other similar duties.
• FWC officers are conducting water- and land-based border patrol activities in conjunction with Texas law enforcement, using shallow draft vessels and airboats capable of navigating variable-depth river environments and four-wheel-drive patrol vehicles.
• In conjunction with the Texas Department of Public Safety and other state and federal partners, FWC officers have made contact with approximately 69,904 people entering the United States illegally. Apprehended illegal immigrants were turned over to the United States Border Patrol.
• FWC officers have worked with Texas DPS and local law enforcement with the arrest of 231 individuals for various charges.

Florida National Guard

• The Florida National Guard is set to deploy their first round of service members on Friday February 23, 2024.
• These service members will support the efforts that have been ongoing at the Texas border per the request for support by Governor Abbot.

Florida State Guard

• On February 12th,  a Florida State Guard Incident Management Team (IMT) of 5 personnel deployed to Operation Lone Star for the first 15–20 day rotation, in support of partner state agencies,  within ESF 16 to establish command, control, and coordination procedures for future missions.
• An additional IMT of 5 personnel is scheduled to relieve the current IMT on February 26th in support of the Florida Fish and Wildlife, Florida Highway Patrol, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for operation planning and mission integration.
• The FSG continues to coordinate with the Texas National Guard, Texas State Guard, and fellow state agencies to identify support areas in response to Governor DeSantis’ recent activation under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC).

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