Jefferson City, MO. – On June 13th, Governor Parson talked about the wrapping up of Executive Order 24-03, which saw various different state employee’s from multiple organizations working at the southern border of the US as a part of Operation Lone Star.
Originally, this deployment was announced through Executive Order 24-03 on February 20th. Up to 200 Missouri National Guard and 22 Missouri State Highway Patrol Troopers were sent to Texas’ border for security operations.
In his release wrapping up the Order, Governor Parson stated “The Mission has been a resounding success, significantly reducing daily illegal-immigrant encounters…” in reply, the Texas Governor, Greg Abbott stated “As Missouri National Guard soldiers and law enforcement officers return to the Show-Me State, know that their efforts made our communities, and our country safer.”
According to the public announcement on the end of the Executive Order, those from Missouri reduced daily illegal-immigrant encounters from more than 4,000 daily to less than 300 at the location they were stationed.
A recap of the Operation from the Press Release is posted below.
Missouri National Guard:
Since March 15, approximately 50 soldiers from the 138th Infantry Regiment, 110th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade have been serving side by side with soldiers from the Texas Army National Guard. Now, MONG soldiers have begun their out-processing in preparation to return to their traditional status in Missouri.
MONG soldiers maintained 24-hour security surveillance operations, with each soldier working shifts alongside Texas Guardsmen. This allowed for soldier safety and operational efficiency. Routine calls for service included detecting undocumented migrants coming across the border, helping turn back undocumented migrants to Mexico, and assisting with surrenders. Soldiers routinely intercepted undocumented migrants on foot and in vehicles and observed them until U.S. Customs & Border Protection officers responded to take custody and process.
MONG soldiers worked daily with their Texas National Guard counterparts and Border Patrol to expand their presence and deter migrant activity within their sixty square miles area of operations on the Rio Grande River, near Eagle Pass, Texas.
In addition to their surveillance operation duties, Missouri soldiers assisting Texas Army National Guard members in the area of the U.S. border provided assistance with the following encounters:
- Undocumented Migrant Surrenders – 2,400
- Undocumented Migrant Detections & Turn Backs – 1,000
Missouri State Highway Patrol Border Deployment:
On March 1, 2024, 11 MSHP troopers traveled to southern Texas to assist the Texas DPS in providing law enforcement services in the area of the U.S. border. The team briefed at the Texas DPS South Region Office (3) in Weslaco, Texas, on March 3 and reported to its first assigned shift on March 4. This team continued to serve in the border area until March 30, 2024.
On March 30, 2024, a second contingent of 11 Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) troopers traveled to southern Texas to assist Texas DPS in providing law enforcement services in the area of the U.S. border. The team briefed at the Texas DPS South Region Office (3) in Weslaco, Texas, on April 1 and reported to its first assigned shifts on April 2.
From March 3 through April 15, MSHP troopers assisting Texas DPS troopers in the area of the U.S. border provided assistance with the following incidents/encounters:
- Traffic Stops – 1,432
- Undocumented Migrants – 519
- Undocumented Migrant Turn-Backs – 61
- Impaired Driver and Drug Arrests – 69
- Other Law Enforcement Assists – 105
