A human smuggler in Roma, Texas, received a surprise from a group of Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol Troopers and Texas Army National Guard soldiers when he was arrested Tuesday night. As the smuggler ferried migrants across the Rio Grande, authorities sprang into action.
The incident was highlighted in a tweet by Fox News’ Bill Melugin.
Authorities generally refrain from conducting such operations out of fear that watercrafts could capsize with children on board.
According to the Fox News report, the smuggler was transporting only adult males. As reported by Breitbart Texas, smugglers generally operate with impunity almost nightly. In many cases, the inflatable rafts are filled with mostly family units and very young children–making any attempt to intervene risky.
In Tuesday’s arrest, the 17-year-old smuggler attempted to fight off the troopers but was ultimately subdued. The smuggler will be charged with assault on a public servant, resisting arrest, and smuggling of humans. One migrant within the group, 45-year-old Jose Ramos Portillo of El Salvador, also resisted arrest. He was later determined to be a previously deported felon convicted of sexual assault. Ramos faces charges of resisting arrest.
The situation in Roma, like in many border cities, has residents and law enforcement frustrated at the almost daily episodes of smuggling activity. On Monday, Breitbart Texas observed one frustrated citizen using a rope and makeshift grappling hook hoping to deflate a raft.
The arrests of migrants along the southwest border are projected to exceed 1.8 million this fiscal year, surpassing what was also an all-time record in FY2021.
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.