GRAPHIC: Death Toll from Group Texas Border River Crossing Climbs to 8

EAGLE PASS, Texas — Border Patrol officials say the number of migrants found dead after a Thursday border crossing climbed to eight on Friday. Other migrants are still reported to missing from a group of migrants who illegally crossed the rain-swollen Rio Grande while trying to illegally enter the United States from Mexico.

“U.S. Border Patrol, Del Rio Sector agents, to include BORSTAR and riverine agents, along with CBP Air and Marine, responded to a large group of individuals attempting to cross the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, Texas,” CBP officials said in response to an inquiry from Breitbart Texas. “Agents apprehended 53 migrants, 37 of which were rescued. Across the river, Government of Mexico authorities apprehended 39 individuals.”

“Part of the rescue mission also led to the discovery of eight deceased migrants, two found by the Government of Mexico and six by agents,” officials stated. “Border Patrol agents are coordinating with the Eagle Pass Fire Department and Maverick County Sheriff’s Office as the search continues for other possible victims.”

Members of a group of more than 50 migrants who illegally crossed the Rio Grande into Texas on Thursday reported that several people from their group were swept away from the group by the swiftly moving currents, Breitbart Texas reported. It is not clear how many migrants may have been lost in the river.

The 50 migrants crossed the border approximately three miles south of the Camino Real International Bridge, an official operating under the umbrella of U.S. Customs and Border Protection told Breitbart Texas.

The migrants reportedly said they were chased into the dangerous waters as Mexican immigration officers attempted to stop them from crossing.

By Friday morning, agents and Mexican officials recovered the bodies of four migrants believed to be from the group, Breitbart reported. Border Patrol agents recovered three on the Texas side while Mexican officials recovered another.

By Friday afternoon, the number of decedents rose to eight as Border Patrol agents found three more and Mexican officials found another.

Officials have not released any information as to ages, sex, or nationalities of the dead migrants. The migrants report those swept away were mostly women and children.

Approximately 1,855 migrants crossed the Rio Grande into the Del Rio Sector per day last week, according to a report from Del Rio Sector Executive Officer for Law Enforcement Operations Victor H. Cardenas published by Breitbart on Thursday.

Over the weekend, more than 5,000 migrants were apprehended after illegally crossing the river. This left more than 1,900 in detention on Monday — this exceeds their legal capacity to hold migrants in these facilities.

He added that the current detention rate impacts “our ability to deploy out to the field and gain operational advantages on our nation’s borders.” It also limits the resources available for rescue and recovery assets during a potential mass casualty incident such as migrants being swept away from a group crossing.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.