A national guardsman was arrested on Sunday following a high-speed chase in Texas while allegedly smuggling an illegal immigrant across the border.
Savion Johnson, a 26-year-old guardsman, was captured and charged with evading arrest, human smuggling and unlawfully carrying a weapon by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Kinney County Sheriff’s Department.
Johnson was allegedly promised between $5,000 and $6,000 to commit the crime, a reward he will never be seeing.
#BREAKING A Texas National Guard soldier deployed from McAllen to Eagle pass under Operation Lonestar was busted for attempting to smuggle an illegal immigrant in a government vehicle on Sunday.
Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe says the soldier turned around when he approached a… pic.twitter.com/HrIIqXmNTq
— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) April 3, 2024
The shameful action immediately captured attention from politicians within Texas with Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office condemning the actions of the guardsman, calling him “a traitor and criminal.”
“We have zero tolerance for Texans who violate laws that directly contradict the mission we are seeking to achieve. The accused’s illegal smuggling may subject him to a mandatory minimum prison sentence of at least 10 years,” said Abbott Press Secretary Andrew Mahaleris. “He deserves more.”
Johnson was reportedly participating in Operation Lone Star, an initiative by Gov. Abbott to deter illegal immigrants attempting to enter America at the southern border and send those who make it through toward sanctuary cities like New York City and Chicago.
“It’s not a good thing. But he’s not the first one we’ve picked up that’s associated with the National Guard,” Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe told The New York Times. “We’ve picked up attorneys. Preachers. Old ones, young ones, juveniles. The money is out there.”
An incident similar to this occurred back in June 2021 when two soldiers were arrested in Fort Hood, Texas, and charged for attempting to smuggle in two Mexicans to San Antonio. One was an active duty member of the U.S. Army and the other was a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard.
Both men were found guilty and served varying prison sentences with probation.
It’s extremely unfortunate that such a noble effort to deter illegal immigrants at the southern border is finding unneeded hiccups from bad agents. The flow of illegals only serves to harm American citizens and anyone aiding in the process of illegal immigration deserves the swiftest and strongest possible punishment.
