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El Paso, Texas – Exclusive: Texas Public Safety Authority (DPS) Sgt. Contrary to the Biden administration’s allegations, Mark Couch says his soldiers are working hard to combat criminal activity related to trafficking, fentanyl, and arms smuggling across the southern border.
Couch and his agent are part of Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s “Operation Lone Star,” which was launched with Texas soldiers in March 2021 to “fight the smuggling of people and drugs into Texas.” Is working. Since its inception, the efforts of this operation have resulted in the arrest of more than 225,000 migrants, the arrest of more than 13,000 criminals, the seizure of more than 3,500 weapons, and the 289 million deadly doses of fentanyl.
Couch spoke with Fox News Digital on the Mexican-Texas border in El Paso on Friday, saying last week’s comment from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mallorcus said the border was “safe.”
In a speech at the Aspen Security Forum last week, Mallorcus said borders were “safe” and “we are working to make borders safer. This was a historic challenge.” He further criticized lawmakers who did not promise widespread immigration law until the situation was resolved, adding that “there was something to do.”
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“Borders aren’t safe. If you’re here for a long time, you’ll come down to visit these areas and talk to the people who work here,” Couch told Fox News Digital. “When looking at RGV, borders are not safe [Rio Grande Valley] Mass migration of the sector of people wandering across national borders. It’s a misnomer of untrue remarks. “
Senior DHS sources told Fox News this week that there have been more than 500,000 known “escapes” since the 2022 fiscal year began in October. This far exceeds the known escape of 389,155 in 2009.
According to sources, the United States has been in a known escape area of about 900,000 people since the beginning of 2009. This is equivalent to a population larger than San Francisco sneaking across borders without anxiety.
According to Couch, Texas DPS’s job is to detect criminal activity related to enforcement measures. He said smugglers are becoming more “creative” in the tactics of trying to hide migrants and drugs and successfully transport them across borders.
Texas Public Safety officials “trained to cross traffic stops,” Couch explained. “It’s not just about handing out paper and taking enforcement action. We want to see what’s happening in the situation, why and why, and whether we can detect if there’s any criminal. They are playing their part. What is happening. “
“Our soldiers are some of the best in the world to do this kind of thing just by talking to people and detecting this kind of criminal activity happening. And smugglers are more creative. The more creative the soldiers are, ”continues Couch.
Smuggling of illegal drugs, including the deadly fentanyl, is also on the rise. In 2009, the amount of fentanyl seized at the Mexican border increased by 30% from before Biden took office, and law enforcement agencies said they would “kill more than six times all men, women and children in our country.” I called.
According to Couch, the soldiers are taking appropriate precautions to specifically address fentanyl. Fentanyl can be fatal when in contact with small amounts of substances.
“That is, training is everything, preparation is important, and when we know the risks that arise, we adapt, shape ourselves to change, and do not stop looking for them, so we do them. Overcome. So wearing a mask and always wearing gloves is part of the risk that police officers know when they start looking for a car or some kind of car or some kind of container. ”
“But fentanyl is very dangerous,” Couch said. “It should be a regulated substance given by a doctor. It should be regulated at all levels. It does not have a business at the level as distributed by someone without a degree, you know, There is no education you are picking up.'”Pills from.
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The sergeant said smugglers’ treatment of migrants taking them across national borders was hurt. In particular, there are reports that more than half of girls trafficked across national borders have been raped.
“Treatment of humans as if they were just property is something the country doesn’t support,” he said. “And that’s what we’re not going to support as law enforcement. It’s very much when we see young children aged 8 or 9 being raped, sodomized, and marginalized. It’s a sad and tragic event. What pain and suffering will they have in the rest of their lives, even if we save them from the situation and put them in a good place? “
The sergeant also said his team was seeing an increase in weapons smuggling in both directions inside and outside Mexico.
The sergeant also said that more and more unarmed migrants in the past are being transported to the United States with weapons and drugs.
“I have a weapon [from] The United States, which is being transported across borders to Mexican cartel members, is using them for intimidation and murder, for everything they do to do cross-border trade. “
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Mr. Couch said that ideally DPS would receive more “human resources” to accomplish their mission.
“If we have more people, we have a lot of good missions to take care of, so we have the human resources to put them everywhere,” he said. “If we have people, and we have people there, we can continue to do the great work we do inside Texas and what we do to support our borders.”
Sergeants are also encouraging more recruitment and civilian support to help stop criminals before they disappear in the United States.
He advised Texas people to use “”“IWatch, Texas” supports the work of border guards. “Look at something and say something is still very important. If you see an intersection or person that seems illegal, it’s at least worth calling your local law enforcement agency.”
Couch said he could sleep well at night because he knew he made a difference whenever he and his agents helped people from trafficking and marginalization and saved individuals.
“And you can actually intervene in the situation to save someone or help someone, at least you can put your head on the pillow knowing that, at least in that situation you are different But when you grab it, you eat the streets, get a lot of marijuana, find the criminal you want somewhere, commit a crime in Texas, and in fact Can be put in jail. “
“Our leadership, our chain of command, the Governor of Texas, the wonderful men and women we give our lives here every day are coming here for a long time away from their families and trying again. We’ll fill the gap left by the federal government not doing their job. We’re proud to do that, “he said. “We love Texas.”
Bill Melugin of Fox News contributed to this report.