The Pecos County Sheriff’s Office was awarded $1,062,000.00 from Governor’s Abbott’s Operation Lone Star Grant Program.

Pecos County Sheriff T.J. Perkins and deputy Jessie Dominguez presented the information regarding the grant at Monday’s commissioner’s court meeting.

On May 31, Governor Abbott issued a disaster declaration along Texas southern borders in response to the border crisis, by providing more resources and strategies to combat the ongoing influx of unlawful immigrants.

The Pecos County Sheriff’s Office started to see more of an influx of illegal immigrants in Pecos County along with human smuggling.

Previously, the Pecos County Commissioner’s Court also issued a disaster declaration due to the border crisis to join with Governor Abbott’s declaration in hoping to get assistance from the state.

In September 2021, Governor Abbott announced he would provide grant funding for local governments through the Operation Lone Star Grant Program. The purpose of the program is to enhance interagency border security operations supporting Operation Lone Star including the facilitation of directed actions to deter and interdict criminal activity.

“In order to accomplish the goal of trying to deter the human trafficking and narcotic smuggling we need vehicles, night vision and thermal imaging equipment,” Perkins said.

The State of Texas announced in March of 2022, that the Pecos County Sheriff’s Office was awarded the grant money.

The breakdown of the awarded money is as follows:

• $172,000.00 reimbursement for housing Inmates being charged for human smuggling

• $220,000.00 night vision and thermal imaging equipment

• $670,000.00 10 patrol vehicles

Currently the Pecos County Sheriff’s Office is working with the United Stated Border Patrol on helping to slow down the flow of illegal immigrants under Operation Stone Garden grant program.