Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Lt. Chris Olivarez tells Glenn “Texas is NOT backing down” after the Supreme Court allowed the Biden administration to continue cutting razor wire at the southern border: “The National Guard is installing MORE barriers, more concertina wire, more fencing along the river.” Lt. Olivarez also accuses the federal government of “trying to create some kind of conflict that is nonexistent” between the Border Patrol and Texas National Guard. And he addresses claims that an illegal immigrant who told a reporter that “you will know who I am” is a known terrorist: “You can only imagine the type of people that are in our country right now…the threat is already here.”
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: He's Lieutenant Chris Olivarez. He's with the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Lieutenant, welcome to the program.
Yesterday, Texas kind of just doubled down, did we not.
CHRIS: Absolutely. So, yes. Of course, great to be with you and your listeners. Yes, as you mentioned. State of Texas, we're not backing down. Governor Abbott made it very clear, that the fight is not over with the whole situation with Shelby Park and Eagle Pass.
I just got back from Eagle Pass last night, to kind of get a rundown of what's happening, and what's going to take place with this whole Supreme Court decision.
And nothing has changed, at least on our end with DPS and National Guard.
We're still continuing operations at Shelby Park. We still have restricted access to Border Patrol in that area.
And, in fact, the national guard is installing more barriers. More concertina wire.
More fencing along the river. To make it challenging. And discourage illegal crossings.
Texas is not backing down.
We appreciate the support from everyone in Texas. As far as, supporting what we're doing and what we've been doing the past few years. On border operation. So we're very thankful for that.
GLENN: They claimed that you are -- I love this.
That you're making it more difficult for them to do their job.
But I'm not sure what their job is, if, you know, razor wire and fencing. Which is built to discourage people from coming across, the water.
I'm not sure what their job is.
How is this harming. Holding them back from doing their job.
CHRIS: Well, it's all a narrative.
Glenn, they're trying to portray. And when I say they, I'm talking about the federal government.
And even those who have been critical of Texas. They're trying to create this divide between federal agencies. And the state, which trying to create some kind of conflict, that's nonexistent.
You know, we still work with border patrol. All the agents. The relationship has not changed. But it does not make their job difficult for one. Because we have soldiers. We have state troopers that are at that park, working along the river. They can respond to situations.
And they may come across people. Any type of reel immigrants.
Whether it be a family or child. They still turn them over to Border Patrol.
So Border Patrol is still able to respond and process those individuals.
We want to focus on the single adults, that we are listing right now. That trespass.
But this whole conflict, that it's going to make their job more difficult. I mean, that's inaccurate. We look back in December in Eagle Pass. We have the largest influx of illegal immigration we've ever experienced in the last three years. Every single Border Patrol agent, in that sector, was pulled from the field to process people.
You had secondary checkpoints, Border Patrol checkpoints that were shut down.
Because those agents were used to process.
So now you have this free for all, for all the activity, human smugglers to take place. So now, by us, actually taking over this area.
It allows those agents to get back to the field, to focus on the criminal work that they like -- that they want to do.
They don't want to do administrative work. They want to be out in the field.
GLENN: I want to make sure that we are not passing on any disinformation.
But I am surprised, at our federal government, for not tracking this down. There is a video, that is going around, and let me play it.
Cut four, please.
VOICE: If you are smart enough, you will know who I am.
But you're really not smart enough to know who I am. But soon, you will know who I am.
VOICE: Wow. Whatever you say.
GLENN: Okay. Soon, you will know who I am.
Now, there is -- there is all kinds of things going around. That say, this guy was in Guantanamo, for I think 11 years.
And was released.
However, we're looking at current pictures of the defy.
And he's a lot older, than this guy appears to be.
But I don't know.
Has anybody run facial recognition on this guy?
CHRIS: You know, I saw that video circling on social media. I think it really shows -- a clear example of the threats coming across our border.
Especially when someone is actually saying, you will know who I am, soon. Those are the type of threats that we worry about.
And that's the type of threats, that are coming across the border, right now.
They're exploiting the current situation.
But yet, our own federal government is not doing anything to stop it. And, of course, when Texas steps up. We're criticized for what we're doing.
Because we want to stop that. We want to stop those public safety. And national security threats. Just -- just today. Border Patrol, released -- there was over 96,000 known got-aways, since October 1st for this fiscal year.
Those are individuals. That have made it into the country right now.
And we don't know where they're at. What their intentions are.
And when you hear something like that, from an individual in that video.
You can only imagine the type of people in the country right now. That have been able to get away.
And that possibly want to cause harm in our country.
The threat is here.
I've said that numerous times. The threats are here.
That's why it's so important to have border security.
Again, it all goes back to the policies. And there's no consequences in place, to destroy border crossings.
GLENN: Well, I mean, find it hard to believe. The federal government has a video.
We know they can run facial recognition.
If he's in a database. If he's a known terrorist.
Why we aren't talked about that.
Why the public isn't being told who he is. And to keep your eye out for this.
It kind of again, goes under the wire.
And nobody seems to care about it.
And, you know, we have -- we have enough problems.
We don't need a terrorist attack on our shores as well.
CHRIS: You're right. That's the last thing we need. Right?
Of course, with the situation the last few years. And the people who have made it in the country, undetected.
Those threats are real. That's the clear reality of the situation.
And it does go back to what the federal government has failed to do.
They could have changed this. They can't change this. They still refuse to do that.
When you see videos like that circulating. They know the threats are here.
They know the threats are coming across. But as you mentioned, has anything been done to identify this individual?
Probably not. And we probably won't know now, maybe days, weeks later.
When they actually find out this individual was wanted. Or on the terrorist human database.
By that time, it's too late.
That's happening in many cases. So that's why it almost got to having a proper vetting process in place, but that's not being done right now, because the agents are just overwhelmed.
Resources are strained.
And that's why you see this constant flow of people coming across the border, unvetted.
GLENN: Lieutenant Chris Olivarez.
He's with the Texas Department of Public Safety.
He's the spokesperson.
And bringing us the news, that Texas is not standing down. And not sitting down.
Thank you so much, lieutenant. Appreciate everything you guys do.
CHRIS: Appreciate you and the support, thank you.