DFW Airport Police publicly confirmed an active investigation Wednesday after state Sen. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound) questioned officials about alleged rideshare fraud documented by The Dallas Express at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
Parker raised the issue during an August 12 hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Homeland and Border Security, telling DFW Airport Police Assistant Chief Joshua Cousins that he was “highly alarmed” by the July 23 DX investigation.
“The Dallas Express came out with a story here this week that inside the bounds of DFW Airport we have a ride-sharing scheme being run by people that are here in this country illegally,” Parker said. He asked whether the allegations amounted to a “racketeering operation” and what authorities were doing “to stop it immediately.”
I asked DFW Airport police today about the fake accounts, spoofed GPS, and covered plates being used to run unauthorized rideshare pickups inside the airport.
Confirmed: active investigation underway.
Zero tolerance. The Legislature will provide whatever it takes: Rangers, DPS,… https://t.co/jGhFxjLPRW pic.twitter.com/M9FvTo7bvI— Senator Tan Parker (@TanParkerTX) August 12, 2026
DX had not established that any specific driver committed fraud or that the man interviewed by DX was unlawfully present. The man denied holding a work permit, green card or H-1B visa, but the report noted that other immigration categories and forms of employment authorization exist.
DX documented multiple phones and tablets, partially obscured license plates and allegations that some drivers were using fraudulent accounts or GPS manipulation to control or bypass airport rideshare queues. The presence of multiple devices and obscured plates did not by itself prove fraud.
Airport police confirm active investigation
“It is an active, ongoing investigation,” Cousins told the committee.
Cousins said the department’s early findings pointed to “an isolated incident,” not “necessarily a huge racketeering conglomerate.” Investigators were working to determine who used the technology described during the hearing, he said.
Cousins also said the airport’s Transportation Business Unit, which oversees transportation network companies, had not received a complaint about the alleged activity. He said police were examining the matter from a law enforcement perspective.
The veteran driver interviewed by DX said he had repeatedly reported the suspected queue manipulation to Uber. Uber, Lyft and DFW Airport did not respond before DX published the July report.
Parker calls for zero tolerance
“Let me be very clear. I don’t care whether or not we’ve heard complaints or not,” Parker said.
“If it’s happening, and we’ve got people that are here illegally in this country and then doing something illegal with regard to this racketeering nonsense on rideshare, we need to eliminate it immediately,” he continued.
Parker called for “zero tolerance” and said the state would support DFW Airport Police if investigators needed additional resources.
He later posted the exchange on X, saying he had asked about “fake accounts, spoofed GPS, and covered plates being used to run unauthorized rideshare pickups inside the airport.”
“Confirmed: active investigation underway. Zero tolerance,” Parker wrote. “The Legislature will provide whatever it takes: Rangers, DPS, regulatory authority, funding.” He said he had requested updates as the investigation develops.
The Dallas Express contacted DFW Airport for additional comment but did not receive a response by publication.
Provided by Dallas Express
