Press Releases

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has added two men to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Lists. Joshua David Whitworth, of Magnolia, is on the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List. John Oliver Talmadge McMickings, of El Paso, is on the Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders List. Texas Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $7,500 for information leading to Whitworth’s arrest and capture and $3,000 for McMickings. All tips are guaranteed to be anonymous.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) graduated three new K-9 teams from a nine-week training program on Nov. 12. These K-9 teams will join more than 50 DPS Canine Detection Teams across Texas within DPS’ Texas Highway Patrol Division.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is seeking information in the 1981 cold case homicide of 22-year-old Karen Lynn Douglas, of Harris County. An increased reward of up to $6,000 is now offered for information that leads to the arrest of those responsible if the tip is received before the next featured cold case is announced. A $3,000 reward for information leading to an arrest is routinely offered on all cases on the Texas Rangers’ Cold Case website.

AUSTIN – Three of Texas’ 10 Most Wanted offenders are back in custody following their arrests, including one fugitive and two sex offenders. Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender Billy Ray Dake was arrested Nov. 1 in Wichita Falls, TX. Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive Fernando Cruz Ramirez was arrested Nov. 3 in Odessa. Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender Arnoldo Reyes Aranbula was arrested Nov. 5 in Corpus Christi. Their arrests were not the results of tips, so no rewards will be paid.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Capitol Region Criminal Investigations Division, in collaboration with Austin Police Department Property Crimes Detectives, recovered several stolen items earlier this week from an organized theft ring operating in the Austin area.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is proud to announce that its Crime Laboratory Division laboratories have been recognized for voluntarily adopting national forensic standards published by the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC), created by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The DPS laboratories have been recognized by NIST as OSAC Implementers.

AUSTIN – The Texas Military Department (TMD) and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) hosted a media briefing today to provide an update on Operation Lone Star (OLS). The briefing was held at DPS’ regional headquarters in Weslaco.

AUSTIN – The reward for Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive Charles Lee Tillman Jr., who’s this month’s featured fugitive, has been increased to $8,500 for information leading to his arrest if tips are received during November. Tillman, 34, is wanted for murder and a parole violation. Remember, all tips are guaranteed to be anonymous.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has added additional Saturday appointment availability at select commercial driver license (CDL) offices for customers needing to apply, renew, replace or upgrade their Texas CDL. Participating driver license offices will offer a limited number of appointments on Nov. 6, 13 and 20 to help Texans with CDL services. The offices will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

AUSTIN – Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender John Anthony Rangel is back in custody following his arrest on Oct. 22. He was arrested in Harlingen by Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Special Agents, who coordinated with Texas Highway Patrol to conduct a traffic stop after Rangel was seen leaving a house. Rangel is from the Harlingen area. His arrest was not the result of a tip, so no reward will be paid.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is urging ghosts and goblins of all ages to keep safety in mind while having a ghoulishly good time this Halloween.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Texas Military Department (TMD) held a media briefing today to provide an update on the progress of Operation Lone Star (OLS). The briefing was held at DPS’ regional headquarters in Weslaco.

SAN ANGELO – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Criminal Investigation Division (CID), in conjunction with the San Angelo Police Department (SAPD) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), conducted a two year Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation which led to the federal indictment and the subsequent arrest of suspects for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine (> 500 grams).

AUSTIN – The Texas Military Department (TMD) and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) held a media briefing today to provide an update on the mobilization of resources by the TMD to strengthen the state as part of Operation Lone Star (OLS) at the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott. The briefing was held at DPS’ regional headquarters in Weslaco.

EL PASO – On October 5 and 6, 2021, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Criminal Investigations Division (CID), in conjunction with the El Paso Police Department (EPPD) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), conducted an Adult Prostitution Operation in El Paso, Texas. The goal was to target individuals trying to exploit and victimize adult prostitutes, as well as to identify and apprehend individuals with suspected involvement in human trafficking by using various websites to solicit sexual acts from adults.