WATCH: Texas DPS K-9 Eki Sniffs Out Migrant Hiding Under Overturned Boat
The Texas Department of Public Safety (TxDPS) has released dramatic body camera footage capturing the moment a police tracking dog located a migrant attempting to evade capture by hiding beneath an overturned boat.
The video features K-9 Eki, a specialized tracking dog with the department, working alongside troopers during an Operation Lone Star patrol. The footage shows the K-9 leading its handler through a rural area before alerting to an old, flipped vessel on the ground. Upon lifting the boat, troopers discovered a male subject underneath, who was subsequently taken into custody.
Operation Lone Star and Border Security Measures
This incident is part of the broader “Operation Lone Star,” a multi-billion dollar border security initiative launched by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in 2021. The operation deploys the Texas National Guard and DPS troopers to the southern border to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking.
K-9 units like Eki’s are a central component of these tactical teams. Trained to detect human scent over long distances and difficult terrain, these dogs are frequently used to track individuals who have evaded initial detection by cameras or patrols. According to TxDPS data, the operation has resulted in hundreds of thousands of migrant apprehensions and criminal arrests since its inception.
Criticism and Concerns Over K-9 Use
While law enforcement officials tout the effectiveness of K-9 units in securing the border and apprehending suspects who might otherwise escape, the practice faces significant opposition from civil rights groups and legal observers.
Critics argue that the use of police dogs for apprehension can be inhumane and disproportionately dangerous. Legal and human rights organizations have raised concerns that K-9s can inflict severe, sometimes permanent physical injuries. Furthermore, opponents point to a “catch-22” often faced by suspects: the natural human instinct to fight off a biting animal can be interpreted by officers as resisting arrest, leading to escalated use of force.
There are also ongoing debates regarding the scope of state-level immigration enforcement. Civil rights advocates have filed complaints alleging that Operation Lone Star’s tactics—including the use of aggressive tracking methods—may violate civil rights and bypass federal immigration authority. Despite these objections, Texas officials maintain that such measures are necessary responses to what they characterize as a lack of federal enforcement at the border.
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