AUSTIN, Texas – A Texas Senate committee is studying how state agencies can respond to hostile drones and black-market fuel operations tied to organized crime along the Texas-Mexico border.
The Senate Select Committee on Homeland and Border Security held hearings on two interim charges assigned by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. State Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, chairs the panel. Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen, participated in the hearings and said lawmakers heard from agencies, prosecutors and industry representatives.
The drone hearing examined commercially available unmanned aircraft used for surveillance, smuggling and counter-reconnaissance. Testimony addressed the difficulty of detecting newer systems and the limited authority state and local agencies have to disable or jam aircraft. Federal law generally controls airspace and restricts the use of counter-drone technology.
The committee is evaluating which state agencies could assist federal authorities, what conduct near critical infrastructure and public events should be prohibited and whether criminal penalties need to be strengthened.
The second hearing focused on fuel theft, export fraud and illegal distribution. Witnesses described tactics that can include falsified shipping documents, tax-exempt fuel diverted from its declared destination, illegal blending or transloading and overweight tanker trucks.
Representatives of the Department of Public Safety, comptroller's office, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Texas Department of Transportation, Texas Trucking Association and Border Prosecution Unit discussed enforcement and safety issues. Prosecutors said complex fuel cases can require extensive financial and racketeering investigations.
The committee is expected to develop policy recommendations before the next legislative session. No bill was approved during the interim hearings.
