EAGLE PASS, Texas — After a significant reduction in migrant traffic in January, migrants are slowly returning to the small border city of Eagle Pass. Despite increased law enforcement operations in Mexico designed to clear the immediate border area to move migrants to southern and central Mexico, some migrants are evading the operations and continue to arrive in Eagle Pass. On Tuesday, more than 300 migrants were apprehended just south of the city by agents assigned to one of two stations in the area.
The migrants, mostly Venezuelans and Central Americans, made landfall nearly eight miles south of Eagle Pass and surrendered to Border Patrol agents during the evening hours on Tuesday. Several groups of migrants, totaling less than 100 in size, crossed in the area, according to a source within CBP. The source, not authorized to speak to the media, provided Breitbart Texas with information and photographs of the groups crossing near a Native American Reservation in Texas. Most, the source says, will be released into the United States.
The groups moving into the United States in the area are roughly 50-65 migrants per crossing and make landfall nearly three times per day at one single crossing point. According to the source, intelligence interviews indicate the migrants are being led to the area to avoid being detected by the enhanced law enforcement and military operations in Mexico. According to the source, the crossing point is void of any state law enforcement presence.
The source told Breitbart Texas the migrants interviewed say they have tired waiting for appointments through the CBP One mobile application and managed to elude Mexican authorities searching northbound freight trains from southern Mexico, also known as “La Bestia.” The migrants are aware of the increased law enforcement posture at Shelby Park in the heart of downtown Eagle Pass and are actively moving south of the city to avoid the recent fortifications of the small downtown park and golf course, the source added.
Migrant apprehensions for the Del Rio Sector fell to less than 200 within a 210-mile section of the border surrounding Eagle Pass at the end of January due to the enhanced operations in Mexico. According to the source, Tuesday’s apprehension of more than 300 for just one of the two stations in Eagle Pass is an unwelcome sign. “We know historically, when operations are enhanced, it only takes a few weeks for groups to figure out how to find a workaround to defeat the operations; for law enforcement, staying unpredictable is key. These smaller groups arriving may have figured out the times and places the trains should be avoided,” the source told Breitbart Texas.
As reported by Breitbart Texas, migrant apprehensions dropped significantly in January after high-level meetings were conducted between the Biden administration and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO). The details regarding the agreement reached between the two countries are unknown.
The source says the current pace of migrant traffic into Eagle Pass is more than manageable, but the increase in pace is worrying nonetheless. “We get very little notice when the groups begin hitting the border at a rate of 3,000 to 4,000 per day. This increase in traffic is something we’re following, and we are hoping we don’t see a return to December numbers anytime soon,” the source emphasized.
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.
