Pregnant Migrant, Husband Drown in Texas Border River

Del Rio Sector Border Patrol agents recovered the body of a pregnant Haitian migrant from the Rio Grande. The woman died while attempting to illegally cross the border in frigid weather conditions.

“Freezing temperatures, winter mixes of snow and ice, and unforgiving river water pose an increased risk of life-threatening conditions to people attempting to enter the United States illegally,” Del Rio Sector Border Patrol officials said in a written statement.

Del Rio Station agents received information from Mexican authorities on January 8 about a possible drowning in the Rio Grande. Agents responded to the area and found the body of a female migrant. Officials report the woman, a 33-year-old Haitian migrant, was pregnant.

Mexican authorities say the woman’s husband drowned days earlier. They recovered his body on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande. It appears he also drowned while attempting an illegal border crossing.

Since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2021 on October 1, 2020, Del Rio Sector agents have recovered the bodies of 18 migrants who died while crossing or shortly after crossing the Rio Grande into Texas.

Del Rio Sector officials cautioned migrants about the dangers of these winter border crossings.

Illegal aliens crossing the border face temperatures that may drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit in South Texas, and may be at risk for hypothermia. Persons attempting to cross the dense terrain illegally during winter months often carry less water and wear excess clothing in efforts of keeping warm. The excess layers of clothing, rugged terrain and the assumption that less water is needed during cold weather also pose increased risks of dehydration.

Additionally, migrants crossing the Rio Grande River face unpredictable currents, deep water and frigid water temperatures making it dangerous to maneuver.