A clear mission to secure the border, stop cartel-driven crime, and protect Texas communities when Washington refuses to act.
Texas families deserve safe communities, secure borders, and a justice system that protects the innocent rather than rewarding criminal exploitation. When the federal government fails to enforce immigration law, states like Texas are forced to step in—because the consequences reach far beyond the Rio Grande. Cartels, traffickers, smugglers, and organized criminal networks exploit gaps in enforcement, placing growing pressure on communities across North Texas.
Border security is not a talking point. It is a public-safety imperative that affects every neighborhood, school, and family in Denton County.
The Issue
Texas has become a major corridor for cartel-driven fentanyl trafficking, human smuggling, and related criminal activity moving along interstate routes such as I-35, U.S. 380, and the Dallas North Tollway. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and local agencies consistently report that organized criminal groups use these routes to transport narcotics, traffic human beings, and evade enforcement.
Texas has invested billions into Operation Lone Star (OLS), yet smuggling and trafficking networks continue exploiting cross-border routes, debt-bondage migration schemes, and inland distribution hubs. And while U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) documented a sharp nationwide drop in migrant encounters in 2025¹, DPS and county agencies still intercept fentanyl shipments, trafficking operations, and organized criminal activity in counties far from the border—including Denton County.
Supporting Argument
DPS reports extensive cartel-related activity statewide, including fentanyl trafficking, human smuggling, gang operations, and exploitation of major highway corridors.²
Operation Lone Star has recorded more than 530,000 apprehensions, tens of thousands of criminal arrests, and the seizure of hundreds of millions of lethal doses of fentanyl since inception.³
CBP data confirm that over 90% of fentanyl seizures occur at legal ports of entry, typically hidden in vehicles and often transported by U.S. citizens—while cartel networks coordinate distribution inside the United States.⁴
Even as certain national crime trends decline, law-enforcement agencies across Texas continue encountering trafficking operations, stash houses, and smuggling activity along major corridors.⁵
Local police departments and county sheriffs face increased strain responding to criminal activity linked to broader border-security failures.
What I Support
I support:
- Creating a Border Enforcement Unit with full arrest authority to target smuggling, trafficking, and cartel-linked operations.
- Mandatory 100% E-Verify statewide to eliminate labor-trafficking incentives and protect Texas workers.
- Designating major cartels as foreign terrorist organizations to expand prosecutorial tools and enable asset seizures.
- Expanding Operation Lone Star with additional DPS troopers, advanced surveillance technology, and expanded detention capacity.
- Criminal penalties for organizations that knowingly facilitate unlawful entry or document fraud.
- A coordinated strategy to secure trafficking corridors—especially I-35, U.S. 380, and the Dallas North Tollway—with unified interdiction and intelligence-sharing.
- Immediate removal of unlawful entrants who commit crimes in Texas.
- Strong, stable funding for local law enforcement and district attorneys.
Texas does not have to choose between compassion and enforcement. We can protect public safety, enforce the law, and shut down criminal activity—without rewarding exploitation or chaos.
Why This Matters
When the border is unsecured, the consequences do not remain at the Rio Grande—they move into our suburbs, schools, and neighborhoods through fentanyl distribution pipelines, trafficking routes, and organized criminal networks.
Denton County is already experiencing this firsthand:
- Fentanyl-related homicide (Denton County):
In early 2025, CBS Texas reported that a Dallas couple was charged with murder after allegedly selling fentanyl linked to a fatal overdose inside Denton County.⁶ - Fentanyl-related homicide (Krum / Denton County):
In July 2025, the City of Denton Police Department arrested a Krum resident and charged him with murder after a man died from fentanyl toxicity.⁷
(Note: Crime occurred within Denton County jurisdiction.) - Prostitution & trafficking-linked enforcement (Denton County):
On May 29, 2025, the Denton County Sheriff’s Office conducted a Prostitution Demand Suppression Operation, resulting in multiple arrests connected to solicitation, with additional leads being followed by the Human Trafficking Unit.⁸
These are not distant border-county reports—they are local, recent, and verifiable law-enforcement cases inside Denton County. They demonstrate how illicit fentanyl and trafficking activity reach North Texas through statewide distribution pipelines tied to larger criminal enterprises.
Border security is not extreme. It is essential to public safety, economic stability, and Texas sovereignty.
Rick Abraham’s Approach
I approach border security as a matter of law, safety, and sovereignty — not political theater. Enforcement must be firm, lawful, and sustainable, so Texas is never again forced to react to federal failure. My focus is simple: secure the border, enforce the law Rick Abraham approaches border security as a matter of law, safety, and sovereignty—not political theater. His priorities are clear:
- Secure the border.
- Enforce the law consistently.
- Disrupt cartel operations.
- Stop fentanyl distribution and human trafficking.
- Protect North Texas communities without creating incentives for further exploitation.
Rick supports policies that produce measurable results—not rhetoric that fails Texans.
Updated December 2025
Sources & Data
¹ U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Southwest Land Border Encounters
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/southwest-land-border-encounters
² Texas Department of Public Safety — Threat Assessments (Landing Page)
https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/about-dps/threat-assessments
³ Office of the Texas Governor — Operation Lone Star (OLS) Updates
https://gov.texas.gov/news/category/operation-lone-star
⁴ U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Drug Seizure Statistics
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/drug-seizure-statistics
⁵ Texas Tribune — Border & Enforcement Reporting
https://www.texastribune.org/topics/border-security/
⁶ CBS News Texas — “Dallas couple charged with murder for selling fentanyl to overdose victim”
https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/dallas-couple-arrested-fentanyl-overdose-murder/
⁷ City of Denton Police Department — “Man Arrested for Fentanyl-Related Murder, Additional Narcotics Charge”
https://www.cityofdenton.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1065
⁸ FOX 4 News — “3 men arrested in Denton County prostitution suppression operation”
https://www.fox4news.com/news/3-arrested-denton-county-prostitution-suppression-operation
