Since its inception back in 2021, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has made Operation Lone Star one of his flagship policies. The controversial program, which has cost the state over $11 billion, is meant to deter illegal crossings and has led the governor to clash both with the Biden administration but his neighboring states as well.
To keep immigrants at bay, Operation Lone Star has resorted to everything from razor wire to buoy barriers. But the governor is also warning of additional risks: on Wednesday he replied to a post by a local reporter who uploaded videos of alligators swimming in the Eagle Pass area with an ominous warning: "Alligators in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass."
