Texas Congressional Race: Eric Flores Highlights Border Crisis Experience

Eric Flores, a Republican candidate aiming to replace incumbent Democrat Rep. Vicente Gonzalez in Texas’s 34th Congressional District, shared his firsthand experiences with the border crisis during his service in Operation Guardian Support under President Trump.

Flores recounted his time as a soldier on the border in 2017 and 2018, stating, “I was an operations officer, effectively leading troops there. We deployed the first 500 soldiers, including myself and a senior lieutenant colonel. The goal was to bolster the border patrol efforts, which I believe the previous administration hadn’t adequately supported.” He expressed concern over the resources under President Biden’s leadership.

He noted, “When the surge occurred, it was crucial to ensure we had sufficient personnel to secure our border.” Reflecting on his experiences, he said, “I realized just how flawed the policies were under the current administration. As a federal prosecutor, I dismantled one of the biggest human smuggling rings in South Texas.”

Flores described how the situation was overwhelming, mentioning a transnational criminal organization from Honduras that was involved in trafficking individuals all the way to Boston. “They were exploiting asylum claims and using commercial airlines, among other methods,” he said, emphasizing the scale of their operations.

“We estimated that they were smuggling between 1,000 to 2,500 individuals a month,” he remarked. “It was shocking to witness their audacity. Even my opponent suggests that loosening border controls would be beneficial. But, let’s be real, that’s what led to 24 million undocumented immigrants entering this country. It’s quite alarming,” he stated.