TEXAS, USA — The families of four soldiers who died while serving in Operation Lone Star will receive financial benefits, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Monday.
Paxton announced he has awarded four lump-sum payments for the fallen soldiers, in cooperation with a new law passed by the 88th Texas Legislature.
The law is called the Bishop Evans Act, named for a Texas National Guardsman who drowned trying to save two migrants who were attempting to cross the Rio Grande River. It states that eligible active-duty military members and national guardsmen deployed for Operation Lone Star are now provided a death benefit.
Paxton's office said the law provides that the surviving spouse, child or parent will receive the benefit if the soldier died while on active duty in connection with Operation Lone Star, Gov. Greg Abbott's initiative to address criminal activity at the Texas-Mexico border.
"Although nothing can replace a family’s loved one, our state seeks to honor the cherished memory and brave service of those who lost their lives in Operation Lone Star," Paxton said. "We have the opportunity to honor their sacrifice by distributing this benefit through the Crime Victim Compensation Program."
Abbott initiated Operation Lone Star in 2021.