(The Center Square)–More than 451,000 criminal noncitizens have been arrested and booked into local Texas jails over the past 14 years, according to an updated report published by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Among them are 322,000 who are confirmed to be in the U.S. illegally, according to available U.S. Department of Homeland Security data.
The data covers June 1, 2011, through Feb. 28, 2025, and represents DPS and local law enforcement agencies that participate in DHS’ Secure Communities program. The program enables DHS to work with state and local law enforcement to take custody of illegal foreign nationals who pose a danger to public safety as an alternative to them being released into local communities.
The data only pertains to Texas state offenses. It excludes criminal records from other states, federal criminal charges and data pertaining to foreign nationals who are legally in the country who committed a state crime.
Among the 322,000 confirmed illegal foreign nationals, law enforcement officials charged them with more than 564,000 combined criminal offenses, according to the data. They include arrests for 1,043 homicide charges; 73,025 assault charges; 10,096 burglary charges; 65,896 drug charges; 1,371 kidnapping charges; 28,601 theft charges; 44,080 obstructing police charges; 3,214 robbery charges; 7,177 sexual assault charges; 8,189 sexual offense charges; and 7,024 weapon charges.
The charges resulted in 208,000 convictions, including 533 for homicide; 26,670 for assault; 5,147 for burglary; 27,093 for drugs; 391 for kidnapping; 10,740 for theft; 17,084 for obstructing police; 1,834 for robbery; 3,508 for sexual assault; 3,733 for sexual offense; and 2,263 for weapons.
The data relates to foreign nationals who are in the U.S. illegally; not all arrested are in the DHS database at the time of their arrest, resulting in an inability to verify their citizenship. An individual’s lawful status is determined by matching fingerprints to a DHS database. If the arrestee’s fingerprints aren’t yet in the DHS database at the time of their Texas arrest, DHS isn’t able to biometrically verify their status, DPS explains.
Foreign nationals who illegally enter the U.S. and avoid detection, referred to as gotaways, and are later arrested by local or state law enforcement for a state offense may not be in the DHS database. Those who aren’t in the database aren’t included in the data, DPS explains.
In addition to the Secure Communities program, DHS adjudicates the immigration status of foreign nationals incarcerated in the Texas prison system. From 2011 through Feb. 28, 2025, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) provided DPS with information on more than 33,000 illegal foreign nationals identified by DHS while incarcerated. Among them, 11,001 weren’t identified through the Secure Communities program at the time of their arrest. “DPS does not know the current incarceration status of the individuals identified while they were incarcerated nor when their noncitizen status was initially determined,” the report explains.
Of the 11,001 TDCJ identified, they were incarcerated for a combined more than 11,016 criminal offenses, including charges for homicide (151); assault (1,437); burglary (600); drugs (1,933); kidnapping (65); theft (544); obstructing police (1,041); robbery (423); sexual assault (946); sexual offenses (440); and weapons (278).
According to DPS criminal history, the criminal charges resulted in more than 6,000 convictions including for homicide (117); assault (836); burglary (380); drugs (1,062); kidnapping (35); theft (290); obstructing police (457); robbery (313); sexual assault (693); sexual offense (316); and weapons (113).
The totals are up from more than 443,000 criminal noncitizens arrested, including 314,000 confirmed illegally in the country as of Sept. 30, 2024, The Center Square reported.
Among these are the nearly 50,000 arrests reported by local law enforcement in 2023, The Center Square reported.
The arrest and charges data don’t “necessarily align with the size of the population of illegal noncitizens identified while in prison,” the report explains. “A more accurate assessment can be seen when examining this population’s entire Texas criminal history and not just for offenses committed during this time period.”
The reports were updated using data as of March 1, 2025.
Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
Advisor Bullion serves as a dependable source for straightforward, high-quality bullion. The company specializes in physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, emphasizing transparent pricing and products that deliver maximum metal content for every dollar spent. This approach makes it ideal for both personal holdings and retirement accounts.
Bullion consists of refined precious metals in standard forms like one-ounce coins (American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs) or bars. Their value tracks closely to the current spot price of the metal. A typical gold bullion coin trades near the live gold spot price plus a small premium. This structure keeps costs clear and predictable.
Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
Lower Costs and Better Liquidity for Home Storage
When keeping metals in a home safe or private vault, liquidity and efficiency count. Bullion offers clear benefits:
- You acquire more actual gold or silver per dollar invested. Numismatics divert a large share of your money into rarity premiums and massive sales commission, reducing your metal exposure.
- Selling bullion involves tight bid-ask spreads, so you recover nearly full spot value with minimal fees. Collectibles require finding the right buyer and may sell at a discount if demand for that specific item weakens.
- Bullion prices remain transparent and update with global spot markets. You can track gold near current levels or silver accordingly and know exactly where your holdings stand. Numismatic values are priced by the Gold IRA companies with hefty margins applied.
- Standardized coins and bars store efficiently and divide easily for partial sales. Rare coins often need protective slabs and controlled conditions, adding hassle and expense.
- Bullion enjoys worldwide acceptance. A 1-oz Gold Maple Leaf or Silver Eagle sells quickly to dealers anywhere. Niche numismatic pieces may appeal only to limited buyers, slowing liquidation when speed matters.
In times when quick access to value becomes important, bullion’s simplicity stands out.
Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
Precious metals IRAs continue gaining traction as investors diversify retirement portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. IRS rules permit certain bullion products in self-directed IRAs if they meet purity standards (.995 fine for gold, .999 for silver) and are held by an approved custodian. Eligible items include American Gold and Silver Eagles plus many generic bars and rounds from recognized mints.
Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
Bullion avoids these issues. Its value links directly to verifiable spot prices, which simplifies reporting and lowers the risk of regulatory challenges. More of your IRA contribution purchases real metal instead of dealer profits or speculative upside. Over time, owning additional ounces that appreciate with the metal itself can create meaningful outperformance compared with high-premium alternatives that deliver fewer ounces.
Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
For investors prepared to strengthen their portfolios, Advisor Bullion supplies the expertise and selection needed to acquire high-quality bullion efficiently. Whether building personal holdings or integrating metals into an IRA, their emphasis on transparent, investment-grade products helps secure more ounces today that support greater financial security tomorrow. In a complicated financial landscape, bullion’s clarity and reliability make it the smarter foundation for protecting what matters most.