Federal agents arrested more than 4,000 illegal aliens in a 10-day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement effort called “Lone Star Mission.”
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin announced Thursday that “Lone Star Mission has been an incredible success, with the brave patriots of ICE arresting more than 4,100 illegal aliens across the state of Texas in ten days.”
All five ICE Enforcement of Removal Operations (ERO) offices in Texas collaborated in the effort.
“This operation shows exactly how important our state and local partnerships are for protecting American communities. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, ICE has been fully unleashed to go after criminal illegal aliens and make America safe again,” stated Mullin.
According to Mullin, over 60 percent of illegal aliens apprehended in the effort had a criminal background.
Arrests included alleged murderers, sexual assailants, drunk drivers, and alien smugglers.
Miguel Vergara, director of ERO Dallas, noted that the effort targeted individuals who posed a threat to national security, public safety, had long criminal histories, or had a final order of removal.
Vergara presented an example of an illegal alien with convictions of felony intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury and driving while intoxicated.
The Department of Homeland Security lists other illegal aliens arrested in the Lone Star Mission as examples:
- Javier Hernandez Alcon, previously deported twice, has convictions for burglary and illegal reentry, and an arrest for capital murder.
- Ramon Antonio Martinez from Honduras is wanted in his home country for the alleged murder of a Honduran man.
- Gerardo Daniel Rivera-Rivera has convictions for felony sexual assault and illegal re-entry.
- Victor Manuel Macias-Castro is a La Linea Cartel member with convictions for conspiracy to enter, transport, or harbor aliens, illegal entry, and illegal re-entry.
Mullin noted that while 60 percent of illegal aliens arrested had criminal backgrounds, the remaining 40 percent had also broken the law by entering illegally.
“Two percent of our population is responsible for 90 percent of criminal activity,” he stated, referencing illegal aliens. He also noted that in the last fiscal year, of the 136,481 illegal aliens taken off the streets, 60 percent had criminal backgrounds.
“Enforcing our nation’s laws, enforcing law and order, so you can live safe in your community is not controversial. Never should be.”
He also addressed sanctuary policies in Democrat-led cities around the country during the press conference.
“When you support sanctuary policies, you’re supporting gang bangers. You’re supporting child pedophiles. You’re supporting rapists. You’re supporting cartels. You’re supporting organized crime. There is no humanitarian policies that create a sanctuary city because it creates a safe haven for crime,” said Mullin.
Bret Bradford, field office director of Houston ERO, echoed Mullin’s sentiments. “There’s no reason to harbor criminals. There’s no reason to provide safe sanctuary for criminals.”
“There’s still a lot of work to be done, so with the support of Secretary Mullin and President Trump, I know our folks are up to the task. I look forward to getting out there every single day and doing our best to make our communities safe and to make this a better place,” said Bradford.
The Lone Star Mission comes amid increased illegal immigration security measures under the Trump administration.
Southwest border apprehensions fell 95 percent in fiscal year 2026 compared with levels during the Biden administration, reaching the lowest annual total in Customs and Border Patrol history.
Nationwide border encounters also fell to the lowest annual total in CBP history in fiscal year 2026, down 88 percent from the highest recorded number from fiscal year 2023.
September marked the 17th consecutive month of zero releases along the border.
