On May 26th, 2025, troopers [music] with the Texas Department of Public Safety observed a white Dodge Charger speeding onto the interstate outside of [music] Laredo, Texas near the border with Mexico. Dashcam footage obtained by Midwest Safety offers a rare inside look into Operation Lone Star, [music] the state's joint operation between Texas DPS and the Texas Military Department, which intends to combat illegal immigration and human smuggling. >> Approaching the International and intersections. >> I'm behind them. I'm behind them. All right, going to go in International, International, right on International. >> Okay, going south on International? >> Very well. >> Walmart, we're going to go into Walmart. Going into Walmart. >> Walmart, Walmart. Walmart. >> Back into International, going back to 35. >> Are you going south on it? >> Yes, south on Loop, south on Loop. >> Hey James, sign the before I go ahead and take over regular traffic. Carol, Carol, going between >> Okay. >> Hey, I'm I'm here. >> Oh my god. >> Walmart, we got I got the 13th Street. >> Okay. >> And then we're going to go on 35, all right, building up south on 220 Church. Going 1 5 3. >> We're about to hit Shiloh. >> Okay, we're going to be approaching the Chino intersection shortly. Chino intersection >> [music] >> Hey, we're approaching University Wow, thank you. Good job. Good job, Samuel. >> Okay. Okay, we're parallel. Here we go. I have to let you on the track line. They're off the track at 100 mph. All right, the vehicle is southbound at 100 mph. Approaching the Dodger. Hey, you got a straight up 10-4, coming towards you. >> That's four vehicles still southbound at 100 mph, approaching the Dodger. >> All right, the vehicle is southbound at 100 mph. Testing the heading ability. Approaching the airport. >> Hey, that unit is approved. You can get in front of them. You can try to block them in. >> I don't know who it is. >> The vehicle is in between the tracks. >> On the right side of the vehicle. >> That's four. >> You got a flat tire, flat tire. >> I know. >> Yeah, they have a flat tire, flat tire, too. Flat tire, too. >> Hey. Yeah, there are damage, uh front right. And back right tire damage. Hey. >> That's four. Side damage, front end. >> Your back seat is open. >> Vehicle is right in the middle of the tracks. >> Car is flat tire, flat tire. >> Approaching the Dodgers on the 210 Freeway, Avalon Boulevard. We're getting to the Dodgers. >> That's four vehicles still southbound, approaching the Dodgers. >> Hey. >> Be advised going to the frontage. >> All right, the rain is on the frontage. >> Any agent on frontage? >> Yeah. >> All right, going westbound on >> There's no one there. >> Get the other side, come on. I was I was I was. >> [screaming] >> Get that guy, go. Hey, hey, hey, HEY, HEY, HEY. GET THAT DRIVER. GET THAT DRIVER. HEY, SOMEONE HOLD TRAFFIC THERE, BRO. Your truck good? Your truck good? That's him? That's the driver? Hey, so what do you want, bro? Oh. Thank you for your service, sir. You have the right to remain silent and not any statement at all. Having this right in mind, are you willing to waive this right and speak to me? For what? Speak for what? In all seven passengers were found to have been smuggled [music] into the US illegally and were remanded to the custody of US Border Patrol. None of the passengers' names were recorded in the case report, so it is unknown as to their eventual fate. Most likely, all seven faced expedited removal. However, following a dramatic decrease in the spring of 2020, immigration prosecutions have since trended upward. This suggests that more immigrants found to have illegally gained entry into the United States are being charged with federal crimes and given federal prison sentences at the cost of $47,000 to the US taxpayer per individual per year before being deported. This strategy is more than likely to discourage repeated illegal entries, which far exceeds any other category of criminal charge. The driver of the vehicle, identified as 22-year-old Jose Hernandez, was charged with seven counts of smuggling of a person and evading arrest with a vehicle. According to Webb County jail [music] records, Hernandez was charged with these same crimes in addition to evading arrest and reckless driving in 2023, where he made bail and failed to reappear in court, prompting Webb County to issue a warrant for his arrest. [music] According to court documents, his bail was set at a total of $150,000 for the crimes he committed in 2025. Four months later, Hernandez entered into a plea agreement in which he pleaded guilty to evading arrest with a vehicle in exchange for dropping the charges of evading arrest and reckless driving. No record exists of Hernandez being indicted for smuggling of a person, possibly to avoid jurisdictional concerns with the federal government, which typically handles cross-border [music] human smuggling cases. No evidence exists of any federal charges being brought against him. Hernandez was sentenced to four years in state prison, which he is currently serving at the Segovia unit in Edinburg, Texas. He was eligible for parole by the time we obtained this video, but could remain in prison until 2029.