Dec. 3, 2007, 11:30PM
Perry touts success of 'Operation Border Star'


San Antonio Express-News


In just two months, Texas' latest border crackdown has practically wiped out cross-border crime in Hidalgo County, Gov. Rick Perry said Monday in San Antonio.

Speaking on the opening day of the weeklong Texas Homeland Security Conference at the San Antonio Convention Center, Perry touted the success of "Operation Border Star," an effort backed by a $110 million infusion from a state law passed earlier this year.

The effort, involving an unannounced, massive "surge" of local, state and federal officers for weeks at a time in border areas known for heavy traffic in drug and human smuggling, is a continuation of similar, earlier crackdowns that were cut short due to lack of steady funding.

"Individuals from nations that harbor terrorists have sought to enter our country through our border with Mexico," Perry said. "Our message to the criminal element: We know who you are, we know what you're doing, we're watching you and we're going to catch you."

Perry cited the program's success in the Rio Grande Valley, noting that criminal activity in Hidalgo County has "shrunk to nearly nothing."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 49524.html