Map shows drug smuggling routes into Texas used by cartels

Steven McCraw, DPS Director, presented a powerpoint to the Texas House Appropriations Committee July 19, 2016 detailing an overview of Operation Secure Texas, a border protection plan, and proposals requested by the Joint Committee on Border Security. less Steven McCraw, DPS Director, presented a powerpoint to the Texas House Appropriations Committee July 19, 2016 detailing an overview of Operation Secure Texas, a border protection plan, and proposals requested ... more Photo: Courtesy/Texas Department Of Public Safety Photo: Courtesy/Texas Department Of Public Safety Image 1 of / 38 Caption Close Map shows drug smuggling routes into Texas used by cartels 1 / 38 Back to Gallery

The Texas Department of Public Safety presented a report to the state earlier this summer which included a map of “major smuggling routes” along the U.S.-Mexico Border.

Steven McCraw, DPS Director, presented a powerpoint to the Texas House Appropriations Committee July 19 detailing an overview of Operation Secure Texas, a border protection plan, and proposals requested by the Joint Committee on Border Security, according to the DPS website.

A photo of the map was recirculated on social media Wednesday by Dave Hendricks, executive producer for ValleyCentral.com.

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The second slide of the presentation illustrates the “major smuggling routes” from Mexico into Texas.

“Texas shares 1,254 miles with Mexico,” the presentation says. “Fourteen Texas counties share a contiguous border with Mexico.”

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According to the document, Hidalgo and Starr Counties have the highest drug smuggling threat in the state, followed by Webb and Cameron Counties which are located on the southern tip of Texas bordering with Mexico.

There were 234,062 undocumented immigrants apprehended at the Texas-Mexico Border in 2015, a drop from the previous year which saw 315,803 people seized, according to the presentation.

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As of Aug. 1, there are 4,270 detection cameras deployed along the border region as well as 1,241 troopers, according to an August DPS report.

kbradshaw@express-news.net

Twitter: @kbrad5