The Invading Cartel Armies Rape trees, river floaters, skeletal remains, and fentanyl candy. Operation LoneStar in Texas has involved over 6,000 state National Guardsmen, a thousand State Troopers and other DPS personnel, and well over $4 billion in state funds, including reallocated funds from other state agencies but if you think the initiative is winding down any time soon, think again. Because of the size and complexity of the operation, exact figures on actual spending have not been forthcoming. WebCalifornia Air National Guard. A month later, 13 Texas Democrats sent a letter to Col. Daniel Heape, inspector general of the Texas Military Department, demanding a sweeping investigation into Operation Lone Star and how the mission is impacting the well-being, morale, and overall readiness of our troops.. Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps left by the Biden Administration's refusal to secure the border. A junior soldier who recently returned home from the Laredo area revealed that the error will cost him $1,300. A significant portion of the redirected funds, about $1 billion in total, was taken from federal coronavirus relief funds. Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard are continuing to work together to secure the border; stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into Texas; and prevent, detect, and interdict transnational criminal behavior between ports of entry. Youll need to check with [TMD] itself for answers to your questions.. Under Mayorkas leadership, more than 5 million illegal aliens have crossed the southern border. There has been no evidence of the additional checks discovering any illegal drugs or trafficked humans. Doing so led to the tax withholding error, which may affect 96% of service members on the mission who are paid twice a month, according to documents obtained by the Tribune and Army Times. One Air National Guard member who left the mission in May said hed never heard of the withholding shortfall when reached by the Tribune and Army Times. Burkett said the departments leadership had known about the issue for months and he did not understand why troops had not been told, the service member added. WebEven so, the rapid deployment and limited preparation time have led to significant challenges for the state National Guard. Doing so led to the tax withholding error, which may affect 96% of service members on the mission who are paid twice a month, according to documents obtained by the Tribune and Army Times. Later that month, Abbott directed 1,000 DPS personnel and 400 more Texas National Guard members to the border in response to the sudden arrival of 16,000 migrants in Del Rio. Abbot began his border initiative, Operation Lone Star (OLS), in March of last year; since then the operation has grown to be the most expensive investment by Texas in in border security, having increased state spending from $110 million in 2007 to $3 billion as of last year. This happened after the news organizations began questioning the ties between the arrests and border security. in in border security, having increased state spending from $110 million in 2007 to $3 billion as of last year. There has been no evidence of the additional checks discovering any illegal drugs or trafficked humans. Coleman told Hegar on October 22 that TMD anticipated adding about 500 personnel each week for the foreseeable future. In late November, it was reported that Abbott deployed 10,000 TNG and state trooper forces to the border as part of Operation Lone Star. READ | Greg Abbotts legislative wins and what the future may hold for Texans. According to staff, we are aware that the agency has experienced turnover in some senior staff, but we are prepared to assist as needed, he wrote. optik tv login The Army's Talent Management Task Force (TMTF) has deployed IPPS-A, the Integrated Personnel and Pay System - Army, an app which serves the National Guard, and in 2021 the Army Reserve and Active Army. The task force tracks, detects, and arrests human smugglers near the Rio Grande River. More than 4,500 citizen airmen fill the ranks of our five wings which are strategically positioned across California to support the state and nation in times of need. Communications reveal complications arose in paying Texas National Guard servicemen during Gov. Agencies as diverse as the Texas Alcoholic Beverages Commission (TABC) and the Health & Human Services Department (HHSD) have seen ordinary funding diverted to fund the initiative, including $500 million in 2022 and at least $350 million more slated for 2023. Gov. We cant leave all the eggs in one basket and be hostages to someone who wants to use trade as a political tool. Mexico is Texass No. DPS troopers stopped a tractor semi-trailer on U.S. 77 in Kenedy County, and during the search troopers discovered 18 illegal immigrants, including a juvenile, hidden inside under a tarp. Heres what you need to know about the initiative. Finance personnel recently added the withholding issue to the briefings they give troops when they depart the mission, which includes average projected income tax estimates by annual taxable income. All 18 illegal immigrants were referred to Border Patrol. Abbot began his border initiative, Operation Lone Star (OLS), in March of last year; since then the operation has grown to be the most expensive Gov. DPS troopers and Texas National Guard troops have been deployed to 48 Texas counties covered by a state disaster declaration. The service member said he was disappointed that there has been no investigation into the issue or a move to hold officials accountable. Greg Abbotts border security push, Operation Lone Star, would receive $4.6 billion to keep National Guard troops and state police at the Texas-Mexico border in 2024-2025. So fyi and more clarity as to why [TMD] sent us a letter. Its always troops first; you take care of your troops, the source said. Were now not going to use Texas, said Mexican Economy Minister Tatiana Clouthier at a conference on April 28 in Mexico City. Operation Lone Star is costing taxpayers $2.5 million every week, according to an analysis by The Texas Tribune, ProPublica and The Marshall Project published in March 2022. But I know soldiers who dont [and] we havent heard anything about anything for tax relief.. The funds are mostly being taken from the Texas Department of Health and Human Services Commission and the Department of Public Safety and are being used to pay for National Guard troops. But, the extent of these successes has been over-exaggerated by Republican state politicians as well as under-exaggerated by state Democrats. Pay has been one of the biggest issues: since the start of the operation. WebOperation Lone Star is a joint mission between the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Military Department along the southern border between Texas and Mexico. On July 27, Abbott ordered theTexas National Guard (TNG)to assist theTexasDepartment of Public Safety by arresting lawbreakers at the border.He didnt specify how many troops were to be deployed. Because thats the typical answer that weve gotten from the Texas Army National Guard, like hey, we need help and they basically just say, well, you just are going to have to figure it out.. It is the federal governments sole responsibility to protect the country and the border, but theyre not doing it right now. Hunter Schuler, who was a leading voice among the troops who tried to unionize in the spring, said he will have to pay around $2,500 to the IRS. This article is co-published and co-reported with the The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit newsroom that informs Texans about state policy and politics. Theyre having rampant amounts of pay issues. At the time, the source described morale within the TNG as horrible.. Texas Scorecard received the following records from the comptroller on November 16. As covered in earlier posts, the initiative involves border wall construction, the deployment of 10,000 National Guard troops under the pretense of a disaster declaration, and the redirection of the Department of Public Safety (DPS) state troopers and state judicial personnel towards the mass arrests of migrants for trespassing. I was wondering why I was making so much, lamented one Army officer. The Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. In a leaked morale survey taken in January 2022, some Texas National Guard members slammed Operation Lone Star for a rushed, involuntary deployment, poor working conditions, delayed pay and a lack of state benefits, The Texas Tribune and the Military Times reported. January 6, 2023 | Austin, Texas In particular, the administrations decision to end outgoing president Trumps Remain in Mexico protocols. The move would also comply with a clause in the U.S. constitution that prevents states from engaging in war except when actually invaded.. But he did complain that the state still hasnt paid his $1,100 travel voucher reimbursing his final trip home. December 8, 2021. When commanders can fix an administrative problem but choose not to, such avoidance can approach dereliction of duty, Rodriguez, who retired in 2009 after nearly four years as the Texas Guards top general, told the Tribune and Army Times in an email. Im not sure where they are coming up with 280 that did not get paid. The State of Texas continues to be at the forefront of this border crisis, said Lt. Olivarez. Their instructions are to prevent criminal Abbott and DPS have claimed that OLS has led to over 11,000 criminal arrests, the referral of tens of thousands of unauthorized immigrants to the federal government for deportation and the seizure of thousands of lethal doses of illegal drugs. The movement of personnel, equipment and capabilities was in response to the unprecedented number of illegal border crossings in the area. But for those who went home before knowing of the problem, theres little left to do but brace for impact. By officially declaring an invasion Gov. TMD officials did not respond to a request for comment on the interaction. Lest we forget, the purpose of Operation LoneStar in Texas was not only to deter illegal immigration but to fight the import of illegal drugs, particularly fentanyl. Unfortunately, the issues havent been only administrative. Inquiries to TMD were not replied to before publication. Operation Lone Star has been riddled in controversy since its inception, often being cited as expensive political posturing. He is an investigative reporter for Texas Scorecard. DPS troopers and Texas National Guard troops have been deployed to 48 Texas counties covered by a state disaster declaration. State officials already transferred $480 million to OLS from other departments in January of this year to keep the operation functioning through spring. Shortly after President Joe Win Burkett about the tax issue during a question-and-answer session of a briefing at Camp Swift near Austin in September, according to the service member. The last payment processed for him was on March 5, 2021, Coleman wrote. The operation was massively upscaled in November 2021, sending up to 10,000 National Guard members to the border. But the recent announcement of the tax issue has felt like another item added to a long list of grievances with the mission, he said. If it was someone like us low-level soldiers, we would have been held accountable, he said. To maintain so much personnel continuously obviously takes a considerable amount of money, but based on the most recent round of committee hearings over border security it appears that Texas underestimated how much. The junior soldier who owes $1,300 was succinct when asked to describe the situation: Shitty., Thankfully, I have money for it, the soldier said. According to. Abbott would be able to invoke war powers that would give the state unprecedented control over its borders. Abbotts Operation Lone Star. Greg Abbott could be stuck paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars in unexpected federal taxes Greg Abbotts border security push, Operation Lone Star, would receive $4.6 billion to keep National Guard troops and state police at the Texas-Mexico border in 2024-2025. Abbott at the end of April stated that he is redirecting an additional $500 million from other agencies to the initiative. We only process payments when TMD enters the information required to process a payment into the payroll system on their end., We do know that Lt. Hohmann received additional payments on: Oct 28, Nov 4, Nov 19, and Dec 6, 2021., A source within TMD recently told Texas Scorecard the pay issue for the TNG is ongoing, but its gotten better and indicated that the improvement is significant. Greg Abbott swears in Brig. In addition to the National Guard, Operation LoneStar in Texas has sometimes included substantial numbers of state troopers, prison guards, Texas Rangers, and other state personnel. In the evidence provided by DPS, the only agency to release data over OLS, there is also little to no distinction between arrests and seizures made by recently mobilized DPS troopers and federal agencies. Texas Gov. If so, when and how? Most of the personnel assigned to support Operation LoneStar in Texas have been state National Guard troops. Updated: 10:32 AM CDT October 11, 2022. Given the investment that the state and Governor Abbott have made in Operation Lone Star, its fair to ask what the returns have been to date. We cant leave all the eggs in one basket and be hostages to someone who wants to use trade as a political tool. Mexico is Texass No. The Texas Military Department has new full-time positions available for the Operation Lone Star border support mission. Greg Abbott in March 2021 in response to rising border crossings, which he blames on President Joe Bidens immigration policies. Understand that OOG [Office of the Governor] wants to increase deployment from 5,000 personnel to 10,000 yet that is not something that is going to happen in the coming weeks, Hegar wrote. A recent Texas Military Department (TMD) press release countering reported issues plaguing Operation Lone Star (OLS) is being disputed by retired service members, as well as a recording of a meeting obtained by Texas Scorecard where multiple concerns (such as pay and sexual assault) were discussed.. A retired member of the Texas A former filmmaker, University of North Texas graduate, and one-time assistant language teacher, Robert Montoya misses Japan and the 1980s. The federal government has sole authority to enforce immigration laws. This time he asked for another almost $1.9 billion to pay another 1,800 guards/troopers and build a border wall (called Operation Steel Curtain, under the OLS Greg Abbott could be stuck paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars in unexpected federal taxes for their work on Operation Lone Star because of a payroll error made by state officials. Greg Abbott could be stuck paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars in unexpected federal taxes for their work on Operation Lone Star because of a payroll error made by state officials. Five more have died in accidents during deployment. | I will reach out to TMD to get more information.. Abbott earlier directed DPS troopers to make additional truck inspections in light of the Biden admins announcement to end title 42. An. About a thousand DPS personnel nearly a quarter of the departments staff are involved in the operation. Members of the National Guard stand near a vehicle along the U.S.-Mexico border, Tuesday, March 23, 2021, in Mission, Texas (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) by the Texas Tribune, The Marshall Project and Propublica, not much. Although he claimed that the state would send 10,000 troops to the border in 2022, so far no more than 6,500 have been assigned to the initiative at any one time (currently there are about 5,000 troops involved). . This spring, the Texas legislature will have the opportunity to debate and discuss the progress of the operation for the first time since it began, and theyve already signaled that it will remain a top priority in terms of funding and policymaking. Sign up for The Brief, its daily newsletter. Press Release. optik tv login The Army's Talent Management Task Force (TMTF) has deployed IPPS-A, the Integrated Personnel and Pay System - Army, an app which serves But, Abbott was able to give himself sweeping powers to spend money and even suspend local laws to respond to the self-declared emergency. Because most imprisoned migrants are charged with trespassing, that deadline would be 15 or 30 days, depending on the severity of the charge. The results of which was the discovery of a few loose brakes, some broken headlights and an estimated loss of $4.2 billion to Texas in economic damages according to Waco-based researcher Perryman Group. Hunter Schuler, who was a leading voice among the troops who tried to unionize in the spring, said he will have to pay around $2,500 to the IRS. In response to Texass tampering with international trade the Mexican government declared that it will shift the construction of its long planned railway trade connection, worth billions of dollars, out of Texas and into New Mexico according to the. On October 21, Texas Scorecard emailed Luis Saenz, Abbotts chief of staff, and informed him this publication had heard allegations of payroll issues for soldiers in the Texas National Guard, specifically not being paid in a timely manner., What does the governor know about this? The driver and passenger, both from Austin, told investigators they were being paid $9,000 to smuggle three illegal immigrants from Honduras to Austin. The operation, which was facilitated by Abbotts disaster declaration in May of 2021, directs the state Department of Public Safety to use available resources to prevent the criminal activity along the border a broad mandate that has only grown in scale in the intervening years. Developed for, Gov. But thats only one facet of the multipart initiative that is Operation Lone Star. However, Abbott rapidly scaled up the program in response to a simultaneous surge in attempted border crossings in the same month. (As with illegal immigrants, the vast majority of illegal drugs in the United States enters the country through legal ports of entry.) In May 2021, Abbott issued a disaster declaration which now covers 53 counties, most of them on or near the border to give him the authority to deploy the Texas National Guard to the border. The investigation found that more than 2,000 of the arrests counted had nothing to do with the border initiative with crimes including cock-fighting, stalking, sexual assault and more. We questioned about it at the time and they said Oh, everythings all right, he said. Must have at least 12 qualifying pay periods of State Service or a combination of active military duty and State service to equal at least one year immediately prior to effective date of military orders. This is a self-inflicted crisis, a national security crisis, and a humanitarian crisis., WATCH: DPS Troopers Find 18 Illegal Immigrants Under Tarp In Semi-Trailer. To cover costs Gov. WebOperation Lone Star is a joint mission between the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Military Department along the southern border between Texas and Mexico. Gov. The driver was arrested and charged with human smuggling. Guardsmen have also complained about financial strains due to the unprecedented length of the deployment, which has prevented some members from being able to keep their civilian jobs. If judged in terms of enforcement, Operation LoneStar in Texas has had undeniable successes. "Operation Lone Star," as it's called, relies on a force of state troopers, National Guard and reinforcements from other red states. Officials said they became aware of the issue in July 2022. He was finally paid on October 11, but theyre saying that this next round of pay could be not until after November, the source said. Operation Lone Star is a border security initiative launched by Texas Gov. Because thats the typical answer that weve gotten from the Texas Army National Guard, like hey, we need help and they basically just say, well, you just are going to have to figure it out.. To 48 Texas counties covered by a state disaster declaration end outgoing president Trumps Remain in Mexico protocols those went. $ 500 million from other agencies to the unprecedented number of illegal border crossings, he. 22 that TMD anticipated adding about 500 personnel each week for the foreseeable future about at. Not sure where they are coming up with 280 that did not paid! 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