Texas law enforcement agencies continue to carry out immigration-related enforcement operations, even amidst a federal government shutdown that has silenced most federal border social media accounts since October 1.
Arrests have reportedly ranged from “Special Interest Aliens” in the Rio Grande Valley tied to an alleged illegal abortion network run by aliens in Houston.
This week’s Texas Takedown Weekly departs from its usual focus on federal immigration arrests to include state-level enforcement actions, crimes allegedly committed by legal or illegal aliens in Texas, and federal prosecutions of noncitizens. The change comes as agencies such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement remain unable to post operational updates during the ongoing funding lapse.
1. Joint Operation Nets “Special Interest Aliens”
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Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Lt. Chris Olivarez announced in an October 8 post that state and federal authorities arrested several “Special Interest Aliens” during a joint enforcement operation in the Rio Grande Valley.
According to Olivarez, the October 2 sweep, part of Operation Lone Star 2.0, identified a hotel being used as a stash site for illegal aliens before they were smuggled deeper into the United States.
“In the Rio Grande Valley, @TxDPS Special Agents and federal authorities conducted a joint interior enforcement operation as part of Operation Lone Star 2.0, prioritizing the identification and apprehension of Special Interest Aliens,” Olivarez wrote. “During the operation, agents identified a hotel being used as a drop-off and stash location for illegal immigrants prior to being smuggled further into the interior.”
He added that several individuals were detained, including two people from Uzbekistan and a 38-year-old Chinese national who attempted to flee before being apprehended. Olivarez said all three were turned over to U.S. Border Patrol for “federal charges of Improper Entry by Alien.”
“These apprehensions underscore the continued collaboration between state and federal partners in identifying, locating, and apprehending criminal and illegal activity as part of Operation Lone Star 2.0,” Olivarez said.
2. Cambodian Illegal Alien Charged After Victoria Shooting
A 41-year-old Cambodian national residing illegally in Victoria has been charged in federal court after allegedly murdering a woman and fleeing from the scene, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
Authorities allege that the suspect, identified as Savin Seng, also known as “Two-Face,” was an admitted gang member and was in possession of a loaded Glock pistol and an extended magazine when he was taken into custody near the crime scene.
The release claims Seng had been ordered removed from the United States in 2016 as an aggravated felon and had active warrants in Los Angeles for another homicide.
“The presence of armed, illegal-alien gang members in our midst is a threat to public safety,” U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei said in a statement. “The Southern District of Texas is determined to remove each and every one of them from our streets.”
If convicted of unlawfully possessing a firearm as a prohibited person, Seng faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Prosecutors said the case is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative targeting cartel, gang, and immigration-related violent crimes.
3. Eight Arrested in Houston for Illegal Abortions
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Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on October 8 that eight individuals, including foreign nationals, were arrested in connection with an alleged illegal abortion network in the Houston area.
“BREAKING: I arrested eight individuals, including foreign nationals, connected to a Houston abortionist,” Paxton wrote. “This cabal of abortion-loving radicals has been running illegal clinics staffed with unlicensed individuals who endangered the very people they pretended to help.”
The arrests followed the indictment of Maria Rojas, a 49-year-old midwife accused of performing abortions without a medical license at multiple clinics in Waller, Cypress, Spring, and Katy, according to a press release from Paxton’s office.
The newly indicted defendants—identified as Yaimara Hernandez Alvarez, Alina Valeron Leon, Dalia Coromoto Yanez, Yonder Lebrun Acosta, Liunet Grandales Estrada, Gerardo Otero Aguero, Sabiel Bosch Gongora, and Jose Manuel Cendan Ley—were charged with practicing medicine without a license.
Paxton described the clinics as “dens of fake doctors” that “will not be allowed to operate in Texas.”
This information is being included in Texas Takedown Weekly because, although the legal status of the alleged offenders has not been reported, the series tracks crimes committed by both legal and illegal aliens in Texas.
Texas Takedown Weekly is a recurring series from The Dallas Express chronicling significant immigration-related arrests, prosecutions, and enforcement actions across Texas. This week’s edition expands its scope due to the federal government shutdown that began on October 1 and remains unresolved as of October 9.
To read last week’s edition, click Texas Takedown Weekly: ICE Captures Fugitive, Deports Child Predators, Raids Dallas Strip Club (October 3, 2025).
