The Brief
Six individuals suspected of illegal entry were apprehended in Roma, Texas, by a DPS tactical Brush Team and U.S. Border Patrol.
One man from China was identified as a “special interest alien,” while others wore wristbands linked to cartel smuggling operations.
All individuals have been transferred to federal custody as part of the state’s ongoing Operation Lone Star enforcement.
ROMA, Texas – Texas DPS troopers teamed up with a specialized tactical unit and apprehended six people suspected of being in the country illegally during operations in South Texas.
The operation included one individual the agency described as a “special interest alien,” according to a social media post by a DPS spokesperson.
Texas DPS Brush Team apprehends migrants
What we know
A video shared on Wednesday by Lt. Chris Olivarez, a spokesperson for DPS in the South Texas Region, shows a man in custody, wearing a colored wristband.
Olivarez said members of the Texas DPS’s Brush Team, an elite unit trained to track individuals moving through dense border terrain, worked alongside U.S. Border Patrol agents during multiple encounters in the Roma area, resulting in the capture of six individuals.
Dig deeper
During one incident, captured on video, a person attempted to flee from troopers but was quickly apprehended.
Among those taken into custody was a man from China, whom Olivarez referred to as a “special interest alien,” a term used more commonly by federal law enforcement.
Illegal immigrant labeled as a “special interest alien” by a Texas DPS official.
(Courtesy: Texas DPS – South Texas Region)Cartel “wristbands” used to track smuggling routes
What they’re saying
All six individuals were identified by DPS as being in the United States illegally and were transferred to U.S. Border Patrol custody, Olivarez said.
The video and social media caption also show the individuals wearing colored wristbands, which DPS says are commonly used by “transnational criminal organizations” to track payments and coordinate movement through cartel-controlled smuggling routes.
(Courtesy: Texas DPS – South Texas Region)
Operation Lone Star continues border enforcement
Big picture view
The arrests are part of Texas’ ongoing border enforcement effort under Operation Lone Star, which involves coordination between state and federal agencies.
The DPS Brush Team operates in the thick brushland of South Texas, focusing on locating and apprehending migrants and suspected smugglers attempting to evade detection in remote border areas.
The Source
Information in this article as provided by Texas DPS officials.