Border Patrol Checkpoints in South Texas to Remain Open During Hurricane Harvey

Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Thursday afternoon that Border Patrol checkpoints in South Texas will remain open during the Hurricane Harvey storm event.

“Border Patrol checkpoints will not be closed unless there is a danger to the safety of the traveling public and our agents,” CBP officials wrote in a statement obtained by Breitbart Texas. “Border Patrol resources, including personnel and transportation, will be deployed on an as needed basis to augment the efforts and capabilities of local-response authorities.”

“The Border Patrol is a law enforcement agency and we will not abandon our law enforcement duties,” officials stated. “If there is a time when we have to unite with our emergency preparedness partners to evacuate community members, we assure you that we will act quickly ensuring that the safety of those requiring evacuation remains paramount.”

The announcement comes as Texans prepare Hurricane Harvey to come on shore somewhere in the Corpus Christi area. It is expected to make landfall late Friday evening or early Saturday morning as a Category 3 or 4 hurricane.

The Border Patrol operates two major inland checkpoints south of Corpus Christi. The Falfurrias Border Patrol Checkpoint is located in Brooks County about 80 miles north of the Mexican border with Texas on U.S. Highway 281. The Sarita Border Patrol Checkpoint is located in about the same position on U.S. Highway 77 in Kenedy County. The two checkpoints are located along major arteries of drug trafficking and human smuggling.