125 Migrants Apprehended in Two Groups in Arizona Desert near Border

Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents apprehended two groups of migrants who illegally crossed the border from Mexico early Monday morning. The groups totaled 125 migrants.

Yuma Sector Chief Patrol Agent Chris Clem tweeted a photo of a large group of migrants apprehended in the desert early Monday morning. The group was made up of 74 illegal immigrants, the chief tweeted.

Six hours earlier, agents apprehended another group of 51 migrants, Clem stated.

On Friday, Chief Clem tweeted another post showing the apprehension of two more groups of migrants. One group of 58 migrants crossed the border illegally followed six hours later by another group of 78, the chief stated.

During the first 12 days of April, his agents apprehended 13 groups of 50 or more migrants. Many of these apprehensions occur in area where only a vehicle barrier exists. These outdated barriers do nothing to stop migrants from stepping over or crawling under the fence to enter the U.S. from a nearby road in Mexico.

Yuma Sector officials report the arrest of 21,544 migrants during the first half of fiscal year 2021 (which began on October 1, 2020). This is up from 4,604 during the same period last year — an increase of nearly 368 percent, according to the March Southwest Border Land Encounters report released by CBP officials on Thursday.