© Shutterstock
The South Texas-based Operation Stonegarden has united federal U.S. Border Patrol officers with state and local law enforcement agencies in an effort to enhance the area’s border security.
To date, they have rescued more than 120 aliens from stash houses and have seized weapons, drugs and currency stashed throughout the Rio Grande Valley. The operations are federally funded by grants that go to state and local agencies. It is part of a broader federal crackdown on human trafficking, and to that end, also promotes the use of 911 in communities facing suspicious happenings.
Additional anti-smuggling campaigns currently utilized by U.S. Border Patrol in the region include Operation Big Rig and No Se Arriesque.