A source within U.S. Customs and Border Protection says that Texas Highway Patrol Troopers responded to suspicious activity near Normandy and discovered a migrant stash house. The house did not have electricity or running water, according to the source.
The migrants were turned over to Border Patrol and were determined to be mostly citizens of Nicaragua. The immediate area received significant media attention after a group of unaccompanied migrant children were abandoned on the banks of the river by smugglers.
The group of migrants, mostly single adults, will be processed and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for detention. The Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was notified, and the incident remains under investigation.
The troopers, recently augmented by law enforcement authorities from out of state, are currently deployed to the southern border as part of Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star. Abbott redirected 1,000 Highway Patrol Troopers and Texas Army National Guardsmen to address the current border crisis.
According to the source, the Del Rio Sector of the Border Patrol is now the second busiest in the nation for illegal crossings. This fiscal year, which began in October 2020, the sector has experienced a 1,000 percent increase in migrant arrests.
The traffic has frustrated residents and ranchers who are concerned about migrant releases and property damage caused by those looking to avoid apprehension. Local law enforcement agencies are encountering human smugglers on highways at a pace not seen in nearly two decades.
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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