Texas sheriffs: Without Cornyn, 'thousands of people would have died' in Texas

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(The Center Square) – Hundreds of leaders in law endorsement and border communities have endorsed U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who is running for reelection. Among them are several dozen border sheriffs.

Goliad County Sheriff Roy Boyd, who leads an Operation Lone Star Task Force, says without Cornyn’s support, thousands of people, including law enforcement officers, would have died during the first Trump administration. Prior to the media frenzy that descended on Texas during the Biden-era border crisis, Texas law enforcement was dealing with illegal border crosser and cartel crime during the first Trump administration and during the Obama administration. 

In 2016, when Boyd worked at the Victoria County Sheriff’s Office, he said they first came across fentanyl in one of their investigations and didn’t know what it was. “We did not know there was an antidote to fentanyl, which was Narcan. We learned this from Sen. Cornyn. The senator arranged for us to get Narcan, and we got cases of it,” he told The Center Square.

Cornyn told him, “I don’t want you or anyone to die from this,” Boyd said. He and several others came to meet Cornyn and his staff at a facility in Houston where they picked up cases of Narcan. Cornyn asked if there were others who weren’t able to come but needed it, Boyd said. He replied there were and Cornyn instructed the organization supplying it to give Boyd everything they had so he could distribute it to other agencies. 

“Cornyn didn’t ask to take my picture like other politicians. It wasn’t a photo op. He helped us when our lives were on the line,” Boyd said. “There’s no telling how many times the Narcan the senator gave us was also used on a person on the streets. That Narcan was on the streets all throughout south Texas. He saved thousands of lives.”

When Brooks County Sheriff Benny Martinez, a founding OLS Task Force member, was overrun during the Obama administration responding to illegal border crossers and recovery of hundreds of dead bodies, the county was going bankrupt, The Center Square reported. “It was Cornyn who ensured the county got the resources it needed to deal with the crisis,” Boyd said. “Without Cornyn, that would not have happened.” 

He’s referring to millions of federal funds provided to border counties and forensic experts through a bill Cornyn filed that was signed into law during the first Trump administration. A framed signed copy of the law is hanging in the Brooks County Sheriff’s Office.

Martinez, a Democrat who has worked with Cornyn since 2009, said without Cornyn, former Gov. Rick Perry and Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, “we would not be able to provide services to our community and search and rescue and recovery operations. Sen. Cornyn has always been there. He was our backbone when we needed him. He is a true statesman. He helps everyone regardless of political party.”

The National Border Patrol Council, which represents more than 16,000 Border Patrol agents, has also endorsed Cornyn. Its president, Paul Perez, said, “Senator Cornyn has been a reliable partner for our agents and has always made border security the high priority that it is. We have worked closely with him to identify security gaps, and he has always been there to help us with the resources we require to secure the border.”

 Texas Department of Public Safety’s former director, Col. Steve McCraw, Ret., also endorsed Cornyn as have 20 Texas south Texas and border sheriffs.

 Democrat Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez said he’s worked with Cornyn “for many years. He listens, he cares, his outstanding staff work really hard and are extremely helpful. We are grateful to have Sen. Cornyn fighting for our border communities and we need him in the U.S. Senate to continue that work.” 

Democrat and Republican sheriffs from Brewster, Brooks, Culberson, Dimmit, Duval, Goliad, Hidalgo, Hudspeth, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kelberg, Kenedy, La Salle, Maverick, Presidio, Starr, Terrell, Val Verde, Willacy, Zapata and Zavala counties have endorsed Cornyn.

Texas Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton, who is challenging Cornyn and who sued the Biden administration more than 100 times, including over border security issues, says he is strong on the border. For years, though, he declined  to issue a legal opinion on invasion even after the former Arizona attorney general did. As 55 counties declared an invasion, Paxton remained silent on the issue. 

Paxton’s First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster, who claimed Texas wasn’t being invaded, didn’t understand the law, a former active-duty Navy JAG and national security expert argued. Webster is embroiled in a lawsuit with former AG staff after more than a decade of scandals have plagued the office. Paxton was the first attorney general to be impeached in Texas history, including by 60 House Republicans. He was acquitted by the Senate. Candidates running for attorney general say their goal is to restore integrity to the office.

Republican U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt is also challenging Cornyn. Democrats U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico are also running for the U.S. Senate seat.