U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the marine unit at the Eagle Pass, Texas, station rescued a juvenile male from Honduras who was apparently drowning in the Rio Grande River.
The agents working near Eagle Pass observed a male struggling in the water while trying to cross from Piedras Negras, Mexico, into Texas, information obtained by Breitbart Texas revealed. Agents attempted to reach the struggling immigrant with flotation devices to help him stay above the water. They were unable to reach him with the devices so agents from the marine unit were notified and rushed to the scene in a boat where they were able to rescue the young man.
The rescue occurred about 4:45 on Tuesday. The agents were able to pull the teen into the boat, saving his life. Agents learned that the 16-year-old from Honduras was not legally present in the United States.
Since the teen was not injured, he was transported to the Eagle Pass South station for processing. Border Patrol officials said the teen had no legal status to remain in the United States.
“This is another excellent example of our agents’ expertise and vigilance in preventing a possible deadly situation,” said Del Rio Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Matthew J. Hudak. “I am proud of our agents and the dedication demonstrated daily in support of the Border Patrol’s mission.”
Unaccompanied alien children (UAC) have been increasingly moving westward in their border crossings as cartel smugglers have adapted to increasing security along the Texas/Mexico border. The smugglers has also learned how to use the presence of children to tie up and distract Border Patrol agents from stopping their higher profile human smuggling assets and drug loads. According to CBP officials, agents in the Del Rio Sector have seen an increase of 33 percent in crossings by UACs when comparing FY 2015 to FY 2016.
Lana Shadwick is a contributing writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. She has served as a prosecutor and associate judge in Texas. Follow her on Twitter @LanaShadwick2.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.