Press Releases

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.

AUSTIN – A Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) K-9 Tracking Team arrested a man wanted for murder after a miles-long manhunt in rural Frio County earlier this month. The suspect, Naudy Hernandez Perez, 25, had an active warrant for the fatal shooting of a man in Dallas County.

AUSTIN – This week Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) Troopers traveled from across the state to Corpus Christi to compete in the 31st annual Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) Texas Challenge – demonstrating their ability to understand and enforce regulations on commercial vehicles.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has added two fugitives with ties to Central Texas, Fabian Martinez Toribio and Octavio Cruz Hernandez, to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants List. Texas Crime Stoppers is now offering a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of either fugitive.

AUSTIN –Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) congratulates three of its Safety Education Service Sergeants on winning awards at the national Uniformed Safety Education Officers Workshop (USEOW) in Kansas City, Mo. last month. The five-day workshop and competition, which took place June 23-27, offers public safety education training to state police officers from across the country.

AUSTIN – Texas 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrant Jorge Hernandez 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 July.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), in partnership with Blinn College, announces the opening of a temporary driver license (DL) office at the Blinn College Student Center in Brenham. Beginning Monday, July 15, Texans may visit this temporary office for full, in-person DL services. Members of the Texas Highway Patrol will also office at this location.