Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 4,170 illegal immigrants during a 10-day statewide operation in Texas called "Lone Star Mission." The operation averaged more than 400 arrests a day, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Where
Statewide
When
Oct. 29, 2026 (publication date; exact dates of 10-day operation not stated)
Sources
Reported by 2 outlets
Taxes and money
None stated in sources.
Who's involved
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)Conducted arrests during the operation
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)Released information about the operation
Markwayne MullinDHS official who addressed news conference
The facts
ICE arrested 4,170 illegal immigrants during 10-day operation in Texas.123Stated by 3 sources
Operation averaged more than 400 arrests per day.123Stated by 3 sources
Operation produced some of largest daily arrest totals ICE recorded in single state.123Stated by 3 sources
Over 60% of individuals arrested had criminal background, per Mullin.23Stated by 2 sources
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
Markwayne Mullin, DHS Arrested individuals were 'the worst of the worst' who should never have been on streets.123
Markwayne Mullin, DHS ICE arrested 136,481 illegal immigrants during last fiscal year.123
Markwayne Mullin, DHS Authorities captured 2,168 'terrorists' since Trump started second term.123
Markwayne Mullin, DHS Country's murder rate dropped to 126-year-low; violent crime dropped to record lows.123
How they headlined it
The same event, as each outlet put it. Marked words appear in only one outlet's headline.
Nearly 4,200 illegal immigrants arrested during 'Lone Star Mission' in Texas: DHS
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
An investigation by The Texas Newsroom and The California Newsroom found that the Trump administration is still detaining pregnant migrant youth in South Texas despite concerns about limited obstetric care. Government records show at least four pregnant girls have been transferred out of state since July 2025 for specialized medical care unavailable in Texas.
Trump administration, Detaining pregnant migrant youth; Jen Smyers, Former Obama-era official with Office of Refugee Resettlement; Department of Health and Human Services, Oversees Office of Refugee Resettlement and 1 more
KXAN investigators found that Texas has expanded the ICE 287(g) program with hundreds of agencies gaining federal immigration powers and new funding, but with limited public disclosure. The investigation identified hundreds of authorized officers, including more than a dozen with criminal charges or state disciplinary histories.
KXAN, investigator; ProPublica, investigative partner; The Texas Tribune, investigative partner and 2 more
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Veterans International Bridge in Brownsville seized cocaine hidden in a commercial vehicle on October 21. The driver, a 39-year-old Mexican citizen, was arrested and a criminal investigation opened.
$$611,680 for estimated street value of seized cocaine
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Officers who intercepted and seized the narcotics; Tater Ortiz, Port Director, Brownsville Port of Entry; Homeland Security Investigations, Special agents who arrested the driver and initiated investigation and 1 more
Manuel Alejandro Melendez-Cereceres, 42, was sentenced in federal court to nine years in prison for conspiracy to transport migrants resulting in serious bodily injury. He organized drivers and coordinated locations for a smuggling network. A migrant fell from a border fence during a May 2025 smuggling event in Tornillo and suffered multiple fractures.
$$672,101 for money judgment
Manuel Alejandro Melendez-Cereceres, defendant; migrant smuggling organization member; U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone, sentenced defendant; U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons, Western District of Texas, announced sentencing and 2 more
The port of entry at Columbus, New Mexico, reopened Monday for Mexican cattle imports under new safeguards including tests, shots and inspections. The reopening comes as the U.S. combats the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating fly larva that has infected livestock and wildlife in Texas and New Mexico since June 2026.
$$113 billion for U.S. cattle industry value threatened by screwworm
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Approved reopening with all-clear for inspectors; Dudley Hoskins, Undersecretary for the Department of Agriculture; Brooke Rollins, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and 2 more
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham announced Tuesday that nine islands in the Rio Grande River, totaling about 66 acres, belong to the State of Texas. The declaration aims to give state and federal law enforcement access to monitor and secure the islands and prevent their use by criminal organizations.
Dawn Buckingham, Texas Land Commissioner; Texas General Land Office, State agency making the determination; Texas Department of Public Safety, Requested mapping of island ownership and 1 more
Thirteen individuals were charged in El Paso following Operation Southbound Takedown, an investigation into transporting stolen vehicles to Mexican cartels. Investigators recovered 29 vehicles worth approximately $1,137,000.
$$1,137,000 for estimated value of recovered stolen vehicles
Justin R. Simmons, U.S. Attorney, Western District of Texas; Ryan G. McRae, Special Agent in Charge, HSI El Paso; Coult W. Markovsky, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI El Paso Field Office and 1 more
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas charged 222 people with immigration and border security-related crimes from October 16-23, 2026. The charges include 165 felony reentry cases, 24 illegal entry cases, 23 human smuggling cases, and other immigration-related crimes.
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas, charging authority; Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, federal law enforcement partner; ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, federal law enforcement partner and 5 more