Large Alligator Spotted in Texas-Mexico Border River, Governor Warns Migrants

EAGLE PASS, Texas — Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a warning to migrants who might attempt to cross the Rio Grande from Mexico illegally — “Alligators are in the Rio Grande. FYI there are warning signs posted in some sectors. Cross at your own risk.”

Governor Abbott’s warning was posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday and accompanied a video posted by local resident Luis De La Torre in Eagle Pass showing a large alligator swimming in the Rio Grande. According to Border Patrol agents in the city, a pair of large alligators have been sighted in the area for years.

One Border Patrol agent assigned to patrol the Rio Grande in the area says the agents frequently encounter the two alligators between the north end of the city and the two ports of entry near the heart of downtown. The source, not authorized to speak to the media, says the alligators are pets that escaped from a veterinarian who lived north of the city around twenty years ago. The non-breeding pair escaped from an enclosure during a Rio Grande flooding event.

The source says there have been no reported encounters between the gators and the thousands of migrants that have crossed the Rio Grande since their escape. “The alligators don’t seem to be fearful of the airboats we use. They will swim along the side of the boat out of curiosity,” the source added.

The most recent sighting of the alligators is just north of a proposed military complex being built by the State to house 2,200 Texas Army National Guard soldiers as part of Abbott’s Operation Lone Star border security mission. As reported by Breitbart Texas, the base will offer dramatic improvements to the current accommodations for soldiers working along the border, including individual rooms, a 700-seat dining facility, a recreational center, laundry facilities, and WiFi access.

According to the Texas Military Department, the camp provides chaplaincy programs and medical and psychological health facilities. Governor Abbott announced the project in February, saying, “Texas is expanding our border security capabilities by building a new Texas Military Department base camp to increase and improve border security operations in this area. This will increase the ability for a larger number of Texas Military Department soldiers in Eagle Pass to operate more effectively and efficiently.”

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.