Law enforcement in South Texas released a series of videos in recent days showing tracking K9s, mounted horse patrol units, and officers on foot pursuing and apprehending individuals authorities claimed were in the country illegally across rugged terrain along the border.

The first video, posted on November 5 by Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Chris Olivarez, showed a DPS K9 team and U.S. Border Patrol agents tracking five individuals on foot across more than two miles of brush in Maverick County. Olivarez wrote that the K9, named Bona, helped officers locate the group “hiding in dense brush,” and he claimed the individuals were illegal immigrants from Mexico. He said the operation was part of Operation Lone Star, the ongoing state-led border initiative.

 

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A separate video posted on November 1 showed a DPS trooper conducting a traffic stop in Uvalde County on October 30. According to Olivarez, the driver, identified as Julio Horacio Martinez Valerio, fled on foot before DPS K9 Bona tracked him for more than one mile through brush. The video later shows officers locating Martinez Valerio and placing him under arrest. Olivarez said the man was charged with evading arrest and claimed he was in the country illegally after previously fleeing to avoid deportation.

Olivarez did not provide details regarding previous charges Valerio might have had with law enforcement or how long he is believed to have been in the country.

In another video posted on October 31, Olivarez shared footage of the DPS Border Mounted Horse Patrol working alongside the U.S. Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations. In the video, mounted troopers navigate thick brush on a private ranch in Maverick County before detaining four individuals. Olivarez claimed the four were from Mexico and Guatemala and had been deported multiple times.

The footage comes as state and federal agencies continue to publicize high-intensity enforcement efforts in border counties. Operation Lone Star was launched by the State of Texas in 2021, deploying state troopers, National Guard personnel, and specialized units with the stated goal of deterring unlawful border crossings.

“Operation Lone Star personnel work around-the-clock with federal partners to deter and repel illegal crossings, arrest human smugglers and cartel gang members, and stop the flow of deadly drugs like fentanyl into our nation,” the Texas governor’s website states.

The latest pursuit videos showcase the evasion tactics employed by individuals attempting to evade detection or deportation. In both the Uvalde County and Maverick County incidents, officers relied on tracking units, either canine or mounted, to follow footprints and movement through areas inaccessible by vehicle.

While federal enforcement on the border has been widely reported to have dramatically increased since President Donald Trump again took office in January of this year, it is currently difficult to see real-time examples of border security or interior enforcement actions due to the ongoing government shutdown. The various social media accounts for federal immigration agencies ceased posting in late September or early October, following a lapse in federal funding.

As of November 5, the 36-day government shutdown is the longest in the history of the United States government, although there are murmurs of a compromise brewing, The Dallas Express reported.

Texas Takedown Weekly is a recurring series from The Dallas Express chronicling reported arrests, enforcement actions, and border security developments across the state.

To read last week’s edition, click Texas Takedown Weekly: Cartel Kids, Child Predators, And Gun Runners.