Border Patrol agents continue to apprehend large groups of Central American migrants after they cross the unsecured border between Mexico and South Texas. In a single incident on Wednesday, Rio Grande Valley Sector agents apprehended a group of more than 70.
Agents assigned to the Weslaco Station encountered a group of migrants who illegally crossed the border early Wednesday morning near Hidalgo, Texas. Rio Grande Valley Sector officials said the group consisted mainly of family units and unaccompanied minors.
The agents took the 74 migrants into custody and transported them to the station where they identified them as coming to the U.S. from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
The apprehension of these large groups of migrants comes as a third caravan is bound for the U.S. from Central America, Breitbart News reported on Wednesday.
The third group appears to be made up of about 2,000 Salvadorans including men, women, and children. The first two caravans organized earlier in October created tension between the migrants and border officials in Mexico and Guatemala.
President Donald Trump responded to the growing crisis by ordering up to 5,000 U.S. troops to the southwestern border, Breitbart News reported over the weekend. Under “Operation Faithful Patriot,” troops are expected to be assigned to ports of entry in the early phase. They are expected to support Border Patrol agents and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in dealing with the anticipated migrant caravan arrivals.
When the caravan migrants arrive, they will add to a system that is already overwhelmed by the continuing flow of Central American migrants.
During Fiscal Year 2018, Border Patrol agents witnessed a 30 percent increase in the number apprehensions between ports of entry along the U.S. border with Mexico. During the fourth quarter of the just-ended fiscal year, officials reported an 80 percent increase in the numbers of Family Unit Aliens.
The Rio Grande Valley Sector in South Texas continues to lead the nation in the apprehension of Family Unit Aliens (FMUA) and Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC). The sector witnessed a 27 percent increase in the number of FMUAs apprehended in 2018 compared to the previous fiscal year, officials reported. The number of families apprehended jumped from 49,896 in FY2017 to 63,278. The apprehension of UACs in this sector remained relatively flat 23,757 — an increase of 49 minors.
The largest increases in UAC apprehensions came in the Yuma Sector where agents apprehended 5,242 unaccompanied minors. This represents an increase of 89 percent over the prior year.
The largest numbers of family units and unaccompanied minors came to the U.S. from Guatemala (50,401 and 22,327 respectively). Honduras came in second with 39,439 family units and 10,913 minors. These were followed by El Salvador and Mexico.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Border/Cartel Chronicles. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.
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