Texas DPS responds to critics of high-speed chases at the border

Texas DPS responds to critics of chases near border

This week, the nonprofit group Human Rights Watch posted a study raising concern about the pursuits and attributing them to at least 74 deaths on the border.

As migrants try to illegally enter the U.S. through Texas, Department of Public Safety troops have been involved in more high-speed chases.

Operation Lone Star has netted human smugglers, illegal migrants and criminals transporting drugs, but those chases have also resulted in dozens of deaths.

"The majority of these crashes that are taking place that result in injury or death, it is because of a traffic violation. Either driving on the wrong side of the road, speed or disregarding a red light or a truck or a stop sign are the contributing factors to some of these crashes," said Lt. Chris Olivarez with Texas DPS.

Lt. Olivarez posted multiple DPS chases from last week on the southern border.

One ended when an Illinois man crashed into the gate of Laughlin Air Force Base, near Del Rio.

The chase resulted in the apprehension of 5 smuggled migrants. One was a child.

This week, the nonprofit group Human Rights Watch posted a study raising concern about the pursuits and attributed them to at least 74 deaths on the border.

Lt. Olivarez said 29 deaths have come from DPS chases, but he says the issue is more complicated than the numbers suggest.

"For example, a trooper may start a chase, but then may lose sight of the vehicle or may back off for whatever reason and another agency may then take over that pursuit. So they're taking into account those type of events," he said.

Lt. Olivarez says every chase is unique and DPS troopers have to use discretion whether to pursue a vehicle or not.

He says the overall purpose is effective to expose human smuggling and drug trafficking.

"If our troopers did not stop in these vehicles, they would not be able to arrest these criminals, seize these deadly drugs that are making their way into our communities and also the rescue of children," said Olivarez.

While chases are not ideal, especially in residential areas, Lt. Olivarez says DPS will also use helicopter support when available to cut down on car pursuits.

He says some troopers also have new technology to make chases safer.

"The trooper has a GPS device mounted at the front of their vehicle and can deploy to the rear of a suspect vehicle. And the trooper can then back off safely and monitor that vehicle's movements using GPS coordinates," Olivarez said.

DPS says they are seeing a recent trend of people who live in other states being hired to drive migrants and drugs into Texas.

Last week, an Illinois man and an Oklahoma man were arrested in South Texas.