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Courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection,

SOUTH TEXAS -The South Texas Campaign, an integrated enforcement effort that harnesses the joint capabilities of federal, state and local law enforcement to break down criminal networks and their ability to operate in the South Texas corridor, posted significant successes in the recently completed Fiscal Year 2014. Joint teams that include CBP officers, Border Patrol agents, Air and Marine interdiction agents in Del Rio Laredo, McAllen, Houston and New Orleans contributed to that unified effort.

During Fiscal Year 2014, STC identified seven primary targets and their illicit networks that represented the highest threats impacting the South Texas Corridor. In response to these emerging threats, the STC kicked off corridor-wide operations to execute intelligence-driven, targeted enforcement actions to disrupt and degrade illicit networks operating in the area.

All in all, STC targeted enforcement operations yielded 475 total arrests with a total of 100 years of jail time handed down.

Targets arrested during STC operations were prosecuted in partnership with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices of both the Western and Southern Districts of Texas.

These enforcement actions were conducted in coordination with federal law enforcement agencies within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Justice, state and local components as joint operations.

Enforcement activities continue to evolve based on threats identified and more robust outcomes are anticipated in FY 2015 as CBP continues to work with Homeland Security Investigations and other federal, state and local investigative partners to disrupt and degrade the criminal organizations operating within the South Texas Corridor that encompass CBP components and investigative partners within the McAllen, Laredo, Del Rio, and Houston areas as well as the New Orleans Border Patrol Sector area of operations.