DEL RIO, Texas — On Sunday, according to a source within Customs and Border Protection, more than 1,500 mostly Haitian migrants were held in a makeshift camp under the Del Rio International Bridge. The agency is struggling to accommodate the large groups that continue to cross the Rio Grande daily.
Ciudad Acuna sits directly across the border from Del Rio and is the choice crossing point for most Haitian migrants. Mixed in are Venezuelans and Cubans. As buses arrive from the interior of Mexico, the migrants waste no time in making their entry into the United States. Migrants view the area as relatively safe from cartel violence and are not challenged by authorities on the Mexican side of the border.
The Cartel del Noreste, a faction of Los Zetas controls the corridor and, according to the source, shows little interest in managing the flow in Acuna. In other areas outside the Del Rio Sector, human smuggling is firmly controlled by cartels. This difference, the source says, is drawing the groups of mostly Haitian, Venezuelan, and Cuban migrants in high numbers.
The source says the flow of migrants is straining the Border Patrol’s resources, making efficient transport, processing, and housing a near impossibility.
More than 500 migrants were being detained outdoors in the temporary holding camp near the river’s edge as of Thursday. That number has now climbed to 1,500 and is likely to continue. More than 2,000 Haitian, Venezuelan, and Cuban migrants recently surrendered to the Border Patrol in the area in a one-week time span. The source says the shell game involved in freeing up indoor detention space to accommodate the daily influx is nearly impossible.
Mexico recently attempted to hold back the Haitian, Cuban, and Venezuelan migrants in the southern state of Chiapas. Authorities in Mexico are actively attempting to prevent the groups from reaching the United States. The government is withholding immigration travel documents and requires migrants to remain near the Guatemalan border while refugee claims are processed. The efforts, however, do not seem to be reflected in Del Rio.
The Del Rio Sector is ranked second in the nation for migrant apprehensions, behind the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas. According to the source, this fiscal year, agents in the Del Rio Sector have apprehended more than 215,000 migrants through August.
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.