500 Migrants in 3 Large Groups Apprehended near Border in Texas

Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol agents encountered five large groups of migrants who illegally crossed the border from Mexico into Texas over the past weekend. The groups totaled nearly 500 migrants from Central America and across the globe.

Rio Grande City Station Border Patrol agents encountered two large groups of migrants in Starr County, Texas, according to information obtained from Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol officials. The groups were made up of 142 single adults, 101 family units, and 130 unaccompanied children. The 373 migrants in the two groups came from Cuba and multiple South and Central American nations, officials stated.

Nearby in the McAllen Station area of responsibility, agents encountered a third large group. This group of 121 migrants located in Hidalgo County, Texas, was made up of 21 single adults, 30 family units, and 70 unaccompanied minors, the report continued.

In total, RGV Sector agents took 494 migrants into custody from the three large groups. Unaccompanied alien children accounted for 200 of these apprehensions — more than 40 percent of the total.

“RGV agents have encountered more than 130 large groups illegally entering the United States since October 2021, resulting in more than 21,000 migrant apprehensions,” sector officials said in a written statement. “The logistics required to transport and process groups of this size continues to place a strain on manpower and resources, as they are often encountered in desolate areas inaccessible to large transport vehicles.”

Border Patrol defines a group of more than 100 migrants as a large group.