Texas vs. Terrorists? Governor Orders Law Enforcement "Surge" Amidst Jihadi Concerns
New Orleans New Year attack by native Texan worries Governor Greg Abbott
Alarmed by the radicalization of Houstonian Shamsud-Din Jabbar - who traveled to neighboring Louisiana to kill 14 people in New Orleans- Texas Governor Greg Abbott has directed the "Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to surge Texas Anti-Terrorism Task Force resources to aggressively combat radical jihadist terrorism."
Jabbar - a Texas-born former US Army soldier who was raised in Beaumont as a Christian - pledged his allegiance to ISIS in a video he recorded before attacking New Year revelers in the French Quarter on January 1, 2025.
Jabbar had escaped the attention of US and Texas anti-terrorism authorities before committing the terrorist attack - a fact that was not lost on Governor Abbott.
Drawing upon the success of "surging" state law enforcement resources to help secure the Texas Border through "Operation Lone Star," Governor Abbott on Tuesday, January 1, 2025, ordered the DPS "to surge Anti-Terrorism Task Force resources" aimed at securing the state from terrorists.
“Terrorism has no place in Texas. Law enforcement at all levels must aggressively collaborate to eliminate radicalization that can lead to terrorist attacks.” - Texas Governor Greg Abbott (January 7, 2025)
To achieve that goal, Governor Abbott issued the following directive to the Texas Department of Public Safety, focusing on the prevention of terrorism and the protection of Texas communities:
Prevention:
DPS will work with FBI Field Offices to increase Anti-terrorism Joint Terrorism Task Force operations statewide.
DPS will increase the number of intelligence analysts assigned to investigate terrorism and mass attack threats and provide analytical assistance to local jurisdictions.
DPS will work with federal agencies to identify, locate, and assess potential threats from "Special Interest Migrants" on the Terrorism Watch List. Six on the terror watch list (including four Iranians) were arrested by Border Patrol Agents in El Paso last week:
DPS will work with the US Department of Homeland Security and local jurisdictions to expand the Bomb-Making Materials Awareness Program (BMAP), enhancing information sharing between the private sector and law enforcement regarding suspicious purchases of materials that may be used to construct improvised explosive devices.
DPS will work with local partners from law enforcement, mental health, and other fields to implement the Texas Behavioral Threat Assessment Intervention and Prevention Program Strategy.
DPS will provide training and education to Texas communities on the prevention of terrorism and targeted violence.
Protection and Mitigation:
DPS Regions will work with local law enforcement partners on plans for securing special events and mass gatherings and providing assistance including vulnerability assessments, threat detection technology, analytical support, and security personnel as needed.
DPS will support local jurisdictions in planning and conducting mass casualty attack response workshops to improve the ability of Texas communities to detect, deter, and respond to terrorist attacks.
DPS will develop a new exercise series focused on coordinating with private sector owners and operators of critical infrastructure to conduct workshops focused on the detection of and response to physical attacks against critical infrastructure.
DPS will expand the Texas Infrastructure Liaison Officer Program by offering additional certification and training opportunities to expand intelligence sharing, suspicious activity reporting, and incident coordination with private sector partners.
DPS will assess the vulnerabilities of the State Capitol Complex to prevent vehicle ramming and other types of potential terrorist attacks and will provide recommendations for Capitol Complex security enhancements.
Do you support Governor Abbott's order to "surge" Texas law enforcement capabilities to prevent terrorist attacks in the state?
Feel free to share your opinion in the comments section of this article!
Abrazos,
Jack Beavers
