Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced his appointment of a border czar to head Operation Lone Star. The announcement came on Monday during a press conference in the Rio Grande Valley.
\n\u201cWe found the right person for the job in Mike Banks,\u201d Abbott said during the announcement. \u201cMike Banks is an award-winning Border Patrol agent. He has held important Border Patrol leadership positions for more than 20 years, serving under four presidents.\u201d
\nResponding to the governor\u2019s appointment, Banks told reporters in South Texas, \u201cI am humbled to be selected by Governor Abbott for this opportunity. Protecting our nation\u2019s border is something I have dedicated the last 23 years of my life to, and I am very passionate about it.\u201d
\nMost recently, Banks served as the Patrol Agent in Charge of one of the largest Border Patrol stations in the Rio Grande Valley Sector, officials told Breitbart Texas on Monday. Prior to that, he served in Washington, D.C., at Border Patrol headquarters under U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz. Banks also served briefly as an acting chief patrol agent along the U.S.-Canada Border.
\nAbbott said that Banks, while serving along the Texas border with Mexico, personally observed the damage and destruction experienced by Texas ranchers and communities caused by human smugglers and the flow of migrants through private property.
\n\u201cMike will tap his expertise to deploy strategies that reduce illegal immigration and keep our community safe,\u201d the Texas governor continued. \u201cHe will work on things like the surge operation like we used in El Paso last month.\u201d
\nBanks will report directly to Governor Abbott and will be based in the border region in Weslaco, Texas. He is expected to use his experience as a Border Patrol agent and manager to work with local leaders and other law enforcement agencies, the governor added.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re not gonna stand idly by while the Biden Administration refuses to enforce the immigration laws as our borders are,\u201d Abbott concluded. \u201cMike Banks will work with stakeholders and communities, law enforcement on the streets to enforce the laws on the books and drive down illegal crossings. He has a proven record of going toe-to-toe with the cartels and winning now, he will bring that winning record to help protect Texas from Biden\u2019s open border policies.\u201d
\nThe governor took advantage of the announcement to show off a section of 30-foot border walls being constructed near Los Indios, Texas. The state is also working on a new section of border wall in the Laredo Sector, Breitbart Texas\u00a0reported\u00a0last week.<\/p>\n