Law enforcement and ranchers in West Texas continue to encounter migrants. In the unforgiving brush of Kinney County, smugglers are guiding single adults to escape the Border Patrol.
Brad Coe, Sheriff of Kinney County, is still dealing with the frustrations of local ranchers who encounter single adult migrants on their lands. He receives complaints daily, often accompanied with photos from game cameras.
Early this week, Coe received an additional complaint from a local area rancher just north of Brackettville. The rancher captured images of several groups of migrants traversing through his property. Coe must use his limited resources to address the problem as local Border Patrol agents are stretched thin dealing with huge increases in migrant traffic over the last few months.
Sheriff Coe is no stranger to immigration issues. Prior to being elected sheriff four years ago, Coe spent 31 years as a Border Patrol agent and supervisor at the Brackettville Station in Kinney County.
Coe says 70 percent of the work performed by his six deputies is related to illegal immigration. The department experienced a steady increase in related calls for service from ranchers since January.
Sheriff Coe’s deputies are stretched thin as they attempt to provide law enforcement coverage to a county that covers more than 1,300 square miles. When available, the deputies also perform overtime funded by the Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Stone Garden to monitor a stretch of the Rio Grande running through Kinney County. The deputies alert Border Patrol agents to illegal crossings and provide intelligence.
Coe responds to the rancher’s complaints as soon as possible when Border Patrol agents cannot. The humanitarian needs of thousands of unaccompanied children has impacted the Border Patrol’s ability to operate in many remote areas.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX
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