Authorities arrested nearly two dozen illegal immigrants hiding on private ranches in Maverick County on May 26, including six Chinese nationals dressed in camouflage, who were designated as “special interest aliens,” according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The operations unfolded on the night of May 26, according to Lt. Chris Olivarez, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety’s South Texas Region.
Later that same night, Border Patrol agents returned to another private ranch in the county and apprehended 12 more illegal immigrants. Six of them were “special interest aliens” from China, all dressed in camouflage.
NTD News has contacted the agency seeking further details.
Similar Cases Reported
Texas DPS has documented a series of similar cases in the South Texas region in recent months involving Chinese nationals—some also wearing camouflage—being caught after crossing the border illegally.
All six of those in the Starr County arrests were found wearing colored wristbands—those commonly used by transnational criminal organizations to signal that a payment has been made and to coordinate movement along cartel-controlled smuggling routes.
“This is another example of the coordinated work between DPS and our federal partners to disrupt criminal activity and prevent unlawful entry into our communities,” Olivarez said at the time.
Texas DPS said both the Maverick County and Starr County apprehensions were carried out as part of Operation Lone Star, a state-led border enforcement initiative that pairs state troopers with federal agents to interdict illegal crossings and disrupt smuggling networks.
“These apprehensions highlight the ongoing efforts in deterring criminal activity along the southern border and the critical partnership between Texas DPS and our federal partners under Operation Lone Star,” Olivarez said. “Border security is national security.”
