Karnes County sheriff deputies and DPS troopers have been out in force trying to curb illegal alien trafficking during the month of October. Several vehicles, each containing as many as 20 individuals, have been pulled over this month and police have participated in several chases after those individuals fled the scene.

Police count about 72 suspected illegal aliens attempting to run from officers on five different occasions this month.

"It has been unusual," Karnes County Sheriff David Jalufka said.

The crackdown on illegal trafficking has been part of Operation Border Star. In coordination with the United States Border Patrol, the Texas Border Sheriff’s Coalition, the Coastal Bend Sheriffs Coalition and border area police departments, the State of Texas launched Operation Border Star mid-September.

The operation is a unified, high-intensity, multi-agency effort focused on reducing crime in targeted regions along the Texas-Mexico border, according to a press release issued by Governor Rick Perry’s office September 26.

The operation will continue for a time period that remains undisclosed for operational security purposes.

Most of the aliens caught here in Karnes County have been from places other than Mexico.

The most recent incident occurred Tuesday at about 8 a.m. Karnes County Sheriff Deputy Justin Mayes stopped a 1993 Ford F350 pickup truck two miles west of Kenedy and about 15 occupants fled the scene onto adjacent property.

The pickup truck was registered to a landscaping company from Cyprus. Police were still chasing the individuals as of press time Tuesday.

DPS Trooper Steven Bailey stopped a van a mile east of Kenedy near the intersection of F.M. 239 and State Highway 72 Monday. He counted approximately 15 individuals that poured out of the van and fled into nearby brush.

He and other officers gave chase, catching five of the men, each one coming out of Guatemala.

Bailey stopped another Guatemalan haul October 1 on State Highway 72 just west of Kenedy. A car registered to a legal resident from that country came to a stop and 15 individuals ran out into nearby brush. None of the individuals were apprehended.

The same day on F.M. 80 north of Helena, Deputy J.D. Mendoza stopped a car and had five individuals jump out and flee into nearby brush. Two men from Honduras were found in the trunk and were taken to Otto Kaiser Memorial Hospital.

"They had been a while in the trunk of the vehicle," Jalufka said.

The next day, DPS Trooper Craig Semlinger stopped a GMC Yukon sports utility vehicle on State Highway 72 west of Kenedy. He counted 20 men that piled out of the vehicle and then ran.

Two of the men were in such bad physical condition, they later turned themselves in to police, Jalufka said. Both men were Mexican nationals and were taken to Otto Kaiser Memorial Hospital for medical treatment.

All nine of the illegal aliens caught this month were turned over to the Texas Department of Human Services’ Office of Immigration and Refugee Affairs.

The rest of the men that fled remain at large.