Texas Governor Greg Abbott welcomed 300 National Guard soldiers as they relocated to a new forward operating base located on the Mexican border this week.

“Troops deployed on Operation Lone Star have been scattered for miles across the region, having to drive miles to work and miles back to where they’re staying later that night,” Abbott said during a press conference.

The Republican Governor explained that the base will ultimately have the capacity to house up to 2,200 Texas National Guard soldiers.

“It has been an inefficient method of housing our soldiers, and this base camp will provide the type of housing and standards of living that both improve the quality of life for the men and women in uniform securing our border and allow Texas to have a permanent presence on the southern border,” Abbott added.

Abbott toured “Forward Operating Base Eagle” which offers individual rooms for the soldiers, a 700-seat dining facility, a recreational center, laundry facilities, and WiFi access. 

“What we see here today is the completion of phase one of six phases for this base camp, many of the troops you see behind me have had an hour transit time just to get to the border. Some are coming from more northern base camps, which are also far away. Having them here at this base camp will help our soldiers operate more efficiently to secure the border,” Texas Major General Thomas Suelzer said.

In June 2023, Abbott announced the ongoing successes of Operation Lone Star, a joint effort between his office, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard.

Aimed at bolstering the security of the Texan border, the operation has been instrumental in preventing the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into the state, along with curbing transnational criminal activities.

Governor Abbott stated at the time, “Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to over 386,000 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 30,000 criminal arrests, with more than 28,000 felony charges reported.”

This notable achievement underscores the operation’s effectiveness and significant role in maintaining Texan border integrity.

The fight against illicit drugs, particularly fentanyl, has been another key aspect of Operation Lone Star. As per the governor’s press release, “Texas law enforcement has seized over 420 million lethal doses of fentanyl during this border mission.”