ROMA, Texas – A steady breeze rolled across a closed bridge crossing the Rio Grande, offering relief from the late April heat. Texas Army National Guard Soldiers stood alongside U.S. Border Patrol agents, scanning the riverbank for movement. Across the water, on the Mexican side of the river, a military vehicle idled beneath the active port-of-entry bridge, its turret facing north toward the border.
The Soldiers were part of Operation Lone Star, a coordinated Texas National Guard mission to prevent, deter and interdict illegal border crossings and transnational criminal activity along the Texas-Mexico border.
In Starr County, Texas, Guard members on the mission assist BP agents assigned to the Rio Grande City Station, which covers a 1,228-square-mile area of responsibility, including 68 miles of international border and three official ports of entry.
Soldiers are paired directly with BP agents and provide support through observation, reporting, communications, transportation, logistical assistance and physical security, all designed to stop illegal border crossings.
“The overall objective is to bring those numbers down to zero,” said a Texas Army Guard unmanned aircraft systems operator assigned to the mission, whose name is withheld for security reasons. “Before we started the mission, BP was not able to keep up with the mass numbers crossing. Now it’s given them breathing room.”
To aid in their mission, the Soldiers use tethered aerostat systems and other technological aids that assist with overwatch along key crossing points. Despite the advantages of technology, the mission poses daily challenges with conditions that can shift quickly.
“One day it could be slow, one day it can be fast. One day something could be hectic, one day something could be very normal. We’re very adaptable to our situations,” said a Texas Army Guard infantryman assigned to the mission, whose name also is withheld for security reasons.
The infantryman credited the training Guard members receive with preparing them to respond to a wide range of situations, from physical challenges in the field to supporting law enforcement operations.
“I’m very confident in my ability and my training that I’ve received to deal with such situations,” the infantryman said.
Texas Army Guard Soldiers also must remain alert to tactics commonly used by criminal organizations operating along the border. Some activities along the river might appear routine but can sometimes be indicators of criminal operations.
“What we’d be looking for right now is some signs of scouts, which would be some vehicles, fishermen,” said the infantryman, adding the Rio Grande’s islands also can present challenges, with smugglers sometimes using them to quickly ferry people, narcotics and weapons across shallow areas of the river.
Guard members on the mission also have encountered diverse groups attempting to cross the border illegally.
“You see people from all over — Congo, Ireland, Syria, Afghanistan — not just from Mexico,” said the infantryman. “We’re not here to be the bad guys. We’re here to uphold the law and protect the peace.”
For some Texas Army Guard members, the Lone Star mission is personal.
“I’ve done five years in the Texas National Guard,” said the UAS operator. “This operation has given me some fulfillment and a feeling like I’ve done something for the state and the country.”