Border crossings cut by Texas crackdown
December 29, 2007
By Sara A. Carter - A strict policy to arrest, prosecute and
jail illegal aliens who cross into the U.S. has shown
significant success in reducing crossings and crime along
the Texas border, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials
said this month.
The first 45 days of Operation Streamline ? a collaborative
effort of local, state and federal agencies in Texas ? has
resulted in decreased illegal border crossings and crime
since its implementation Oct. 31 compared with last year's
numbers, said Laredo Border Patrol Sector chief patrol agent
Carlos X. Carrillo.
''As more and more illegal aliens are prosecuted and
incarcerated under Streamline-Laredo, the word is spreading
quickly that illegal entry has its consequences,'' Mr.
Carrillo said. ''Those found guilty of violating this statute
face penalties that can include fines and up to six months
in prison.''
During the first 45-day period of Operation Streamline in
the Laredo sector only 2,833 illegal entries were reported,
compared with last fiscal year, when 4,424 illegal entries
were reported during a similar period.
The operation covers a 60-mile span along the U.S.-Mexico
border at Laredo. Mr. Carrillo also noted that there was an
overall reduction of 33 percent in apprehensions along the
entire 171-mile Laredo border corridor.
The Laredo Police Department's crime data for Oct. 31-Dec.
15 indicates a year-to-date reduction in reported crimes of
approximately 30 percent, and a 36 percent decrease in major
crimes during the 45-day Streamline-Laredo reporting period.
''As a result of this partnership, the positive effects of
Streamline-Laredo resonate deep within the community,'' Mr.
Carrillo said.
Any person found guilty of illegally crossing in the Laredo
sector can face a series of fines, and sentences that range
from 10 days to a maximum of 180 days in jail.
Rep. John Culberson, Texas Republican, said the strict
policy to arrest illegal crossers is a significant step in
securing the nation's borders.
Operation Streamline will be adopted next month by
law-enforcement agencies in the Border Patrol's Tucson,
Ariz., sector, Mr. Culberson added. Mr. Culberson, who has
publicly advocated for the strict border policy, said he
hopes the operation will be adopted along the entire
U.S.-Mexico border.
''I expect to see zero tolerance implemented in the Tucson
sector in January, and my next target is the Brownsville
Sector [in Texas],'' Mr. Culberson said.
Operation Streamline II was first adopted in the Del Rio,
Texas, sector in December 2005. It focused on high-traffic
smuggling corridors along the 205 miles of the Rio Grande
that divide the sector from Mexico. Since its
implementation, the crime rate has been reduced by 76
percent and illegal border crossings are at the lowest
numbers since Border Patrol began keeping records in 1972,
Mr. Culberson added.
BORDER ENFORCEMENT
The following are results from Operation Streamline in the
U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Laredo, Texas, sector:
?Illegal entries: For the same 45-day period, the Laredo
Sector reported 2,833 illegal entries in 2007 versus 4,424
illegal entries in 2006.
?Crime: A comparison of Laredo Police Department data
covering Oct. 31 through Dec. 15, 2006, and the same time
period this year shows an approximate 30 percent decrease in
reported crimes in the community.
Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection
December 29, 2007
By Sara A. Carter - A strict policy to arrest, prosecute and
jail illegal aliens who cross into the U.S. has shown
significant success in reducing crossings and crime along
the Texas border, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials
said this month.
The first 45 days of Operation Streamline ? a collaborative
effort of local, state and federal agencies in Texas ? has
resulted in decreased illegal border crossings and crime
since its implementation Oct. 31 compared with last year's
numbers, said Laredo Border Patrol Sector chief patrol agent
Carlos X. Carrillo.
''As more and more illegal aliens are prosecuted and
incarcerated under Streamline-Laredo, the word is spreading
quickly that illegal entry has its consequences,'' Mr.
Carrillo said. ''Those found guilty of violating this statute
face penalties that can include fines and up to six months
in prison.''
During the first 45-day period of Operation Streamline in
the Laredo sector only 2,833 illegal entries were reported,
compared with last fiscal year, when 4,424 illegal entries
were reported during a similar period.
The operation covers a 60-mile span along the U.S.-Mexico
border at Laredo. Mr. Carrillo also noted that there was an
overall reduction of 33 percent in apprehensions along the
entire 171-mile Laredo border corridor.
The Laredo Police Department's crime data for Oct. 31-Dec.
15 indicates a year-to-date reduction in reported crimes of
approximately 30 percent, and a 36 percent decrease in major
crimes during the 45-day Streamline-Laredo reporting period.
''As a result of this partnership, the positive effects of
Streamline-Laredo resonate deep within the community,'' Mr.
Carrillo said.
Any person found guilty of illegally crossing in the Laredo
sector can face a series of fines, and sentences that range
from 10 days to a maximum of 180 days in jail.
Rep. John Culberson, Texas Republican, said the strict
policy to arrest illegal crossers is a significant step in
securing the nation's borders.
Operation Streamline will be adopted next month by
law-enforcement agencies in the Border Patrol's Tucson,
Ariz., sector, Mr. Culberson added. Mr. Culberson, who has
publicly advocated for the strict border policy, said he
hopes the operation will be adopted along the entire
U.S.-Mexico border.
''I expect to see zero tolerance implemented in the Tucson
sector in January, and my next target is the Brownsville
Sector [in Texas],'' Mr. Culberson said.
Operation Streamline II was first adopted in the Del Rio,
Texas, sector in December 2005. It focused on high-traffic
smuggling corridors along the 205 miles of the Rio Grande
that divide the sector from Mexico. Since its
implementation, the crime rate has been reduced by 76
percent and illegal border crossings are at the lowest
numbers since Border Patrol began keeping records in 1972,
Mr. Culberson added.
BORDER ENFORCEMENT
The following are results from Operation Streamline in the
U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Laredo, Texas, sector:
?Illegal entries: For the same 45-day period, the Laredo
Sector reported 2,833 illegal entries in 2007 versus 4,424
illegal entries in 2006.
?Crime: A comparison of Laredo Police Department data
covering Oct. 31 through Dec. 15, 2006, and the same time
period this year shows an approximate 30 percent decrease in
reported crimes in the community.
Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection
