EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Civilian Tries to Puncture Human Smuggler’s Raft on Texas Bank of Rio Grande

ROMA, Texas — As human smugglers ferried more than 100 migrants on inflatable rafts near the city’s downtown district, a civilian attempted to disrupt the scene on several occasions Monday. “Richard” hid in the brush along the Texas bank of the Rio Grande and attempted to puncture migrant rafts with various objects while verbally taunting smugglers.

As Texas Army National Guard soldiers looked on, the man shouted at smugglers as he threw a rope with a makeshift grappling hook to apparently puncture the inflatable craft. Soldiers said the man has been in the area for several weeks and was warned by local law enforcement to avoid any vigilante tactics.

The soldiers said the warnings have had no effect and Richard continues his efforts on a nightly basis. The soldiers are fearful the smugglers may attempt to retaliate in some way if the man continues to antagonize. Guardsmen say they lack authority to intervene.

In the footage, the man did wait for the mostly family unit migrants to disembark before he tried to puncture the craft. He was unsuccessful but vowed to keep trying. The flow of migrants into the city from Miguel Aleman, Tamaulipas, is a nightly occurrence at this location.

The smugglers openly communicate with soldiers and Border Patrol agents, coordinating where to beach the raft so that migrant children can easily climb the bank. As the citizen moved through the brush in the darkness, the smugglers chose to land one raft in an area that proved to be challenging for the migrants to disembark.

The migrants will be taken to a nearby soft-sided processing center. Many of the family unit migrants with tender age children will ultimately be released. Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley Sector arrested more than 549,000 migrants in Fiscal Year 2021. Roughly 257,000 of those were classified as family unit members, according to the Border Patrol.

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.