Illegal immigrants attempting to avoid capture assaulted three more Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol agents over the weekend. One of the incidents involved alleged drug smugglers.
Border Patrol agents responded to a tip that a group of men were smuggling large bundles across the Rio Grande River border with Mexico near the town of Roma, Texas, on Sunday. When the agents arrived, the smugglers abandoned their cargo and attempted to flee back to Mexico, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
One of the agents intercepted a fleeing smuggler, officials stated. The smuggler began to fight the agent. He allegedly pushed and scratched the agent in an attempt to avoid arrest. A second agent assisted the struggling colleague and the two agents took the man into custody.
A records check on the man revealed he has previous arrests on drug charges. He also has a history of two deportations.
The other smugglers escaped, but not before the agents were able to seize the bundles, weighing a total of 150 pounds. Officials estimated the value at $120,000.
Agents working near Rio Grande City came upon a man who crossed the border. As the agent attempted to arrest him, he became combative and struck the agent in the chest. The agent subdued the man an placed him under arrest. A background investigation revealed the man to be a Mexican national.
On Friday, an agent assigned to the Rio Grande City station came upon an illegal immigrant who attempted to enter the U.S. near Roma, officials said. As the agent attempted to take the man into custody, the illegal immigrant threw a handful of dirt in the agent’s face. After regaining his vision, the agent place the man under arrest. Agents then learned the illegal immigrant is from Honduras.
These assaults come on the heals of four others in the same sector, Breitbart Texas reported. The attacks all occurred during a one-week period.
More than 300 Border Patrol agents were assaulted in the first six months of Fiscal Year 2018, officials reported. This compares to 462 during the same period in FY 2017.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX, GAB, and Facebook.