Nearly 500 migrants crossed the border into the small border town of Eagle Pass on Wednesday morning. The latest large migrant group crossing into Eagle Pass continues a trend of large single migrant group crossings in recent months.
The large group of mostly Venezuelan and Central American migrants attempted the crossing in one group near the heart of the downtown. The group managed to breach the existing concertina wire barriers installed by the State of Texas.
A source within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, not authorized to speak to the media, told Breitbart Texas the crossings are worrisome as the currents of the Rio Grande are flowing faster than normal. Water releases controlled by authorities with the International Boundary and Water Commission from the Amistad Dam in Del Rio, Texas, have raised the water level and contributed to increased water flow rates downriver in Eagle Pass in recent months.
As reported by Breitbart Texas, the crossings of large single migrant groups numbering nearly 500 or greater into the heart of the small border town have become a frequent occurrence in recent months. The increase has contributed to a rise in the number of migrant deaths caused by drownings due to the swift currents.
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Wednesday’s incident during the latest large migrant crossing has the potential to add to the number of migrant deaths reported by the Border Patrol’s Del Rio Sector because of the increase in migrant crossing activity in the region. The sector reported 15 migrant drownings in the area in the last seven weeks. Initial reports at the time of the crossing led law enforcement authorities to believe that the currents may have swept away some migrants. Those reports were dispelled after agents interviewed members of the large migrant group. It is believed that none drowned or were swept away, according to the source.
The migrants will be transported to a nearby Border Patrol processing facility. Once processed, the source says many will likely be released to pursue asylum claims within the United States. In October, according to CBP, more than 38,000 migrants were apprehended in the Del Rio Sector, the majority of whom crossed into Eagle Pass. The sector currently is the second busiest for migrant crossings into the United States nationwide.
The steady migrant releases of several thousand migrants in cities across the southwest border daily is being felt in large metropolitan sanctuary cities across the United States struggling to cope with hundreds of migrants in need of shelter arriving daily.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.
