Press Releases

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has captured another fugitive from Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List in Houston – just days after he was added to the list.

AUSTIN – The Public Safety Commission (PSC), along with Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Steven McCraw, recognized the service of several Texans at the PSC meeting at DPS Headquarters in Austin. Commissioners and Director McCraw presented one Medal of Valor, three Director’s Awards, five Lifesaving Awards and one Unit Citation.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) today commissioned 101 new Texas Highway Patrol Troopers from recruit Class A-2024 during a graduation ceremony at Great Hills Baptist Church in Austin. Texas Governor Greg Abbott gave the keynote address.

AUSTIN – This morning, in a letter to his more than 11,000 Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers and employees, Director Steven C. McCraw announced that after leading the agency for 15 years, he plans to retire.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) today officially welcomed a new member to the Public Safety Commission (PSC) as Commissioner Dan Hord sat for his first PSC meeting at DPS Headquarters in Austin. Commissioner Hord fills the seat previously held by outgoing Commissioner Dale Wainwright, who left the PSC earlier this year after completing his term.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has added Jose Miguel Zelaya-Ponce to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List. Texas Crime Stoppers is now offering a cash reward of up to $3,000 for information leading to Zelaya-Ponce’s arrest. All tips are guaranteed to be anonymous.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), in honor of National Aviation Day today, recognizes the significant, decades-long contributions of the department’s Aircraft Operations Division (AOD) to citizens of the state.

AUSTIN – Texas 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrant Omar Zavala is this month’s Featured Fugitive. The reward for information leading to his arrest is increased to $4,000 for the month if the tip is received in August.

AUSTIN – As students begin heading back to school, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) reminds all Texans to exercise heightened caution and adhere to safety measures implemented to protect students, staff and fellow drivers this school year. This includes tips on how to safely drop off and pick up your child from school, drive cautiously through school zones and talk to your family and loved ones about staying safe this school year and beyond.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has captured another fugitive from Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List – this time in Round Rock. A Crime Stoppers reward will not be paid in this arrest.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Texas Highway Patrol (THP) is increasing enforcement efforts – along with fellow law enforcement partners in bordering states – as part of the Distracted Reckless Impaired Visibility Enforcement or SafeDRIVE initiative. This concentrated highway enforcement will run Aug. 6-8, 2024, on Interstates 10, 20, 35, 40 and 45.

AUSTIN – On Friday, July 19, around 7:45 p.m., members of the Texas Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Radiation/Nuclear Detection Unit, along with the Upton County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Transportation and other local agencies, responded to the scene of a truck tractor semi-trailer on fire along State Highway 329 northwest of Rankin, Texas. The trailer was transporting UN3332—a radioactive material that contains Cesium-137 which can pose a serious health threat.

AMARILLO – Today, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) held a boat dedication ceremony at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial in Amarillo to honor the life and service of fallen Trooper Matthew Dewayne Myrick. Bearing the name Patrol Vessel Myrick, the newly commissioned boat will be transported to DPS’ Tactical Marine Unit stationed at the Texas-Mexico border.

HARDEMAN COUNTY – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) seized approximately 12 pounds of suspected fentanyl after a Texas Highway Patrol Trooper stopped a vehicle in Hardeman County.

Wizard Wells, TX – The Jack County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Rangers have identified the victim of a homicide that occurred near Wizard Wells, Texas, in 1984 as Roberta Mumma. Roberta Mumma’s skeletal remains were discovered in a remote area in Jack County over 35 years ago, and her identity remained a mystery until now.