As criminal activity remains a key concern at the border, more than 10,000 individuals from hostile nations have been detained at the Texas border since 2021.
The amount of illegal aliens from hostile nations that have escaped capture at the Texas border remains unknown. A Texas House committee report revealed this number and the threat it poses.
A porous border flooded with illegal immigration is a vulnerability. One that hostile nations are more than happy to exploit.
Since 2021, 8,954 Chinese nationals have been detained by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). That’s according to an interim report from a Texas House committee on hostile foreign threats to the state, published in December 2024. “Many of the detained Chinese nationals are military-age males, not females,” the report read. “Migrants are increasingly coming from Russia, China, and Iran.”
Close to 2,000 Russians and more than 200 Iranians were detained.
China, Russia, and Iran were all identified as threats to national security by the office of the director of national intelligence. This was in their 2024 Annual Threat Assessment.
Former DPS Director Col. Steven McGraw revealed these numbers to House committee members on September 10, 2024. Committee members wrote that his testimony gave “insight into recent migrant trends, cartel activities, and the shifting dynamics of human trafficking along the Texas-Mexico border.”
That same day, Chuck Devore of the Texas Public Policy Foundation warned committee members of the threat of CCP spies. “DeVore also explained the People’s Republic of China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law, which mandates cooperation from Chinese citizens and companies in intelligence activities,” the report’s authors wrote.
Crime
McGraw’s report on crime was also chilling.
He told committee members that the number of Venezuelans entering Texas “surged dramatically since 2021.” Reportedly, the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) “is gaining power.”
That same month, Gov. Greg Abbott declared TdA a foreign terrorist organization. He also said he would soon declare them a “Tier 1” gang. A 2018 Department of Public Safety threat assessment defines Tier 1 gangs as posing the “greatest threat to the state.”
TdA has gained national attention. In July 2024, the U.S. Treasury Dept. sanctioned the transnational criminal operation. “[TdA] is expanding throughout the Western Hemisphere and engaging in diverse criminal activities, such as human smuggling and trafficking, gender-based violence, money laundering, and illicit drug trafficking,” the department stated.
Tom Homan, incoming President Trump’s border czar, has said ridding America of criminal organizations like TdA is a “major priority” for Trump.
Additionally, McGraw testified that 320,000 illegal immigrants in Texas have been “charged with criminal offenses” since 2011.
“Cartels still control trafficking operations along the Texas-Mexico border,” the interim report read. “Cartels are involved in manufacturing fentanyl and methamphetamine, with precursor chemicals coming from Communist China.”
Along these lines, McGraw revealed weak spots in Texas’ law enforcement system. Across the state’s 254 counties, there are 2,768 state and local law enforcement agencies. McGraw said that only 80,179 state and local officers staff all of these. “While these departments are highly professional, over 50% have 10 or fewer officers, 78% have 20 or fewer officers and 91% have 50 or fewer officers,” the interim report of McGraw’s testimony read. “Regardless of their professionalism and dedication, it is not possible for most of these agencies to sustain around-the-clock operations for long periods of time or to invest in the types of capabilities needed to address significant threats.”
There was good news. “Texas is no longer the ‘center of gravity’ for trafficking, with operations shifting to states west of Texas,” McGraw reported. He said that human smuggling had decreased by 49 percent over the 8 months before his September testimony.
Still A Problem
Threats to the border remain. “Weapons, cash, and trafficked individuals continue to move through border crossings west of Texas, emphasizing the importance of Texas’ role in national security efforts,” McGraw reported. “The data presented indicates the need for strong law enforcement cooperation to curb the influence of cartels and protect national security from emerging threats, including human trafficking, drug manufacturing, and cross-border financial flows.”
McGraw has since retired as the head of DPS.
While committee members wrote “Protect Texas Land” as a recommendation in the interim report, this refers to land ownership. Committee members offered no specific recommendations to improve efforts to stop illegal border crossings. The committee chairman is State Rep. Cole Hefner (R–Mount Pleasant). His office didn’t respond to a request for comment.
During the 2023 legislative session, Speaker of the Texas House Dade Phelan killed a proposal that would have created a state Border Protection Unit. The proposed measure was known as House Bill 20. The created BPU would have been responsible for detecting, interdicting, and repelling illegal aliens attempting to cross into Texas at the southern border.
“In 2023, under the failed leadership of Dade Phelan, the Texas House, failing to pass HB20, squandered its opportunity to provide the infrastructure necessary for Texas to fully secure its own border,” incoming State Rep. Andy Hopper (R-Decatur) stated. “For most of Texas history, the federal government has failed to secure our Texas southern border and has left our frontier open to attack and invasion.”
Voters have now rehired President Donald Trump. His inauguration is set to take place on January 20. Though he has run on strong border security, Hopper cautions that Texas should not be caught flat-footed again.
“Texas must work with President Trump to develop the organization and infrastructure necessary for Texas to be fully prepared to secure our border when and if the need arises. Our Texas Legislature must see to it that Texas is prepared to act as a sovereign power should it ever again find itself the target of an invasion perpetrated by Washington, D.C.,” he stated.
Texas Scorecard asked DPS for updated numbers of Chinese, Russian, and Iranians detained. No response was received before publication.
The committee interim report covered multiple theaters in Texas under threat. These will be explored in future articles.
No ads. No paywalls. No government grants. No corporate masters.
Just real news for real Texans.
Support Texas Scorecard to keep it that way!
