Governor Greg Abbott, along with all four United States Attorneys in Texas, announced today that individuals who come to Texas from out of state to engage in looting, violence, or other destructive acts in violation of federal law will be subject to federal prosecution. Anyone who is arrested and charged with such offenses will be transferred to federal custody. The United States Attorneys will be working with local prosecutors and law enforcement officials to aggressively identify crimes that violate federal law. The four United States Attorneys joining this announcement are: John F. Bash, Erin Nealy Cox, Stephen J. Cox, and Ryan K. Patrick.
"Texans must be able to exercise their First Amendment rights without fear of having agitators, including those coming from out-of-state, hijack their peaceful protest," said Governor Abbott and the U.S. Attorneys. "Today’s announcement will ensure there are harsh consequences for those breaking the law and that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."