About 50 members of the Indiana National Guard who were deployed to the U.S. southern border earlier this year as part of Operation Lone Star are set to return within the next 60 days, officials confirmed. The mission, which began in April 2024, aimed to provide support to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and the Texas National Guard following a request from Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
Indiana Governor Mike Braun praised the success of the mission and expressed gratitude to the Guardsmen for their service. During their deployment, the Indiana members engaged in over 11,000 interactions, including 2,639 detected individual border crossings, 35 surrenders, and 8,837 turnbacks. A second rotation of troops saw at least 559 interactions. Brig. Gen. Larry Muennich commended the soldiers for their efforts in securing the border and highlighted the Indiana National Guard’s readiness to support state and national operations.
The deployment, costing just over $7 million according to initial estimates, was prompted by concerns over the influx of drugs, particularly fentanyl, into the United States via the southern border and its impact on communities, including those in Indiana. The returning Guardsmen are expected to arrive back in Indiana within the next 60 days.
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