The lure of quick cash helps fuel a steady stream of smuggling cases being filed in rural Texas counties along the U.S. border with Mexico.

The lure of quick cash helps fuel a steady stream of smuggling cases being filed in rural Texas counties along the southern borde

The Del Rio sector of our southern border is 350 miles west of Houston and has become the 2nd busiest spot for apprehensions along the southern border.

With the number of people illegally crossing our southern border steadily increasing each month, according to Customs and Border Protection data, many rural counties are seeing their resources drained.

Rural county courts are facing a huge increase in criminal cases due to the number of arrests being made under the auspices of Operation Lone Star. Gov. Greg Abbott has spent $4 billion on this effort, which he has repeatedly said is needed in response to the record number of apprehensions reported by Customs and Border Protection along the southern border.

The number of encounters along our southern border has been increasing over the last three months. These increases come after Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported a record 1.7 million encounters along our southern border during the fiscal year 2021. Political division on this issue has prevented Congress from enacting long-term immigration reform.

Two Galveston County Constables returned to Kinney County again to answer calls for help from a sheriff who is short-handed and facing an increasing number of calls for service because of what is happening on our border.

Here are things to know for Friday, July 2:

A lawsuit is being filed by several Texas sheriffs and counties along with an association of ICE officers against President Joe Biden and the leadership of his Department of Homeland Security.