(The Center Square) â Texas is defending the border, doing the federal governmentâs job, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, argues, having launched Operation Lone Star to thwart criminal activities resulting from President Joe Bidenâs open border policies.
While Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued the Biden administration several times over alleged immigration law violations, until these issues are resolved in court, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is working around the clock to keep Texans, and Americans, safe, Abbott said.
Since Operation Lone Star began in early March, Texas DPS from March 4 through May 6, made more than 30,500 referrals to U.S. Border Patrol, a spokesperson told The Center Square by email.
Texas Gov. Abbott Says Intercepted Fentanyl at US Border Saw 800% Increase
Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott stated on Friday the amount of fentanyl U.S. border agents intercepted on the Texas-Mexico border has increased by 800 percent in April compared to the same month in the previous year.
“But I gotta tell you there’s a new dynamic about what’s going on at the border that Americans need to know about and that is increased apprehension of fentanyl coming across the border,” Abbott said during an interview with Fox News. “Yes, there may be people coming across but there are dangerous drugs coming across the border.”
Chinese Chemicals in Mexican Cartel Hands Feed Deadly U.S. Fentanyl Crisis
On 5/5/21 at 12:44 PM EDT
Chemicals manufactured in China and bought by Mexico s narco cartels in transactions facilitated by a global network of Chinese criminal groups are fueling the fentanyl crisis, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people in the United States, the world s biggest market for illegal drugs.
The U.S. death toll tied to fentanyl in 2020 is estimated at a record 90,000.
The problem may only be getting worse.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid developed decades ago as an extremely powerful pain reliever. It s about 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin.
Drug overdose deaths hit record highs during the pandemic
KSBY file image
and last updated 2021-04-27 22:32:37-04
Amid the pandemic, San Luis Obispo County drug overdose deaths have hit a record high.
For the past 13 months, the pandemic has prompted stay-at-home orders, closures and less person-to-person interaction. When people don t have the coping skills to tolerate that, they will go towards drugs and other avoidant behaviors, said Coraline Robinson, Balance Treatment Center Program Director.
While some Central Coast treatment centers have avoided closures, some in-person treatment services had to move online. Even people who were active in recovery and doing well and going to meetings and going to programs, when those stopped or those went online, people lost a lot of connection, said Dr. Ken Starr, owner of Kenn Starr MD Wellness Group.