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A Texas National Guard soldier has been arrested after attempting to smuggle a migrant into the United States.
The Texas Department of Public Safety has identified the soldier as 26-year-old Savion Johnson, who is now facing charges including evading arrest, smuggling of persons, and unlawful carry of a weapon. Johnson, who was deployed to Eagle Pass as part of Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, was taken into custody on Sunday.
The arrest occurred near a newly operational pop-up tactical Border Patrol checkpoint off Highway 674, in Kinney County. Sheriff Brad Coe reported that Johnson’s suspicious behavior—turning his vehicle around upon approaching the checkpoint—prompted a pursuit. Texas DPS officers resorted to using spike strips to stop the vehicle, leading to Johnson’s arrest with the assistance of Kinney County Sheriff’s deputies. The undocumented migrant Johnson was accused of smuggling fled the scene but later surrendered to Border Patrol for processing.
Żołnierz Straży Stanowej Teksasu Savion Johnson, który został przydzielony do granicy w ramach operacji "Lone Star", został aresztowany, po ucieczce z punktu kontrolnego amerykańskiej Straży Granicznej, za przemyt ludzi...
— Tomek Niewęgłowski (@tomek525) April 4, 2024
źródła podają, że przyznał się, że za przemyt każdego… pic.twitter.com/TDmj0DVcaq
Governor Abbott has responded to the arrest, saying, “If the allegations are true, the accused is a traitor and criminal. We have zero tolerance for Texans who violate laws that directly contradict the mission we are seeking to achieve.”
According to sources, Johnson was promised $5,000 for the smuggling of the migrant. Johnson was also armed, which led to enhanced charges.
