The governor of Texas. Greg Abbott has warned that Iranian “sleeper cells” operating inside the United States pose a serious threat in the wake of Operation Epic Fury, saying the danger must be taken “seriously” as the Lone Star State steps up its security efforts.
“We often see that when a war breaks out like this, where the United States can oppose a country like Iran, you can either have a sleeping country or a dormant country. [cells] or lone wolves acting out,” Abbott said.Mornings with Maria” on Monday.
“This is exactly why we have increased the number of Texas Department of Public Safety officers to patrol the streets and in sensitive areas and why I have deployed the Texas National Guard to do the same thing,” he said.
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Texas Governor Greg Abbott speaks during a press conference with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins at the Texas Capitol in Austin, August 15, 2025. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Tensions rose following a deadly shooting in Austin early Sunday, when suspect Ndiaga Diagne, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Senegal, opened fire near a downtown bar, killing two people and wounding 14 others.
Diagne was wearing a sweater that read “PROPERTY OF ALLAH” during the attack.
According to media reports, law enforcement found the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran and photos of its leaders at his home.
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A protester holding a portrait of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reacts in front of City Hall during a demonstration against U.S. and Israeli attacks on several cities in Iran, February 28, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. (Qian Weizhong/VCG/Getty Images / Getty Images)
“There will be further details revealed about the shooter and his links to terrorism that will help clarify [that] “This was a lone wolf activity where this shooter intended to wreak havoc here in Texas, here in the United States, because of his ties and sympathies with Iran,” Abbott said.
Abbott and other Republicans have long warned of the consequences of open borders under the Biden administration. He echoed those warnings during his appearance on FOX Business, telling Maria Bartiromo that the shooting raised more questions.
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“It calls into question a lot of people like these who are here in the United States who come from other countries,” he said.
“The United States needs to do a much better job of trying to continually monitor and evaluate those who have come to our country who could pose a danger.”
Asra Q. Nomani of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
