239 Migrants Apprehended in Two Large Groups at Border in Texas

Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol agents apprehended two large groups of migrants who illegally crossed the border from Mexico into South Texas over the weekend. The agents apprehended a total of 239 from nine countries.

McAllen Station Border Patrol agents working the border near Hidalgo, Texas, on Friday morning, encountered a large group of migrants who illegally crossed the border. The agents took the 132 migrants into custody and conducted immigration interviews, according to information provided by Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol officials.

The agents reported the group consisted of 94 family members, 35 unaccompanied children, and six migrant adults, officials wrote. They identified the migrants as foreign nationals from Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Romania who were illegally present in the United States.

Border Patrol agents arranged transportation for the large group to the McAllen Border Patrol Station for processing.

Saturday evening, McAllen Station agents again encountered a large group of migrants who illegally crossed the border from Mexico. This group consisted of 107 migrants from Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. The group contained 72 migrant families, 29 unaccompanied minors, and six migrant adults — all illegally present in the U.S., officials stated.

“Even with the spread of the COVID-19 virus, human smugglers continue to try these brazen attempts with zero regard for the lives they endanger nor to the health of the citizens of our great nation,” Rio Grande Valley Sector officials stated.

In March, the last month for which data has officially been released, Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol agents apprehended 61,968 migrants including 35,250 family migrant units, 9,726 unaccompanied alien children, and 16,992 single adult migrants, according to the March Southwest Border Land Encounters report. The April numbers are likely to be released later this week.