Texas Department of Public Safety troopers arrested a man they say is a Gulf Cartel operative near the border town of Mission. The troopers report the Mexican national, illegally present in the U.S., helped five migrants cross the Rio Grande and scale a border wall.
Texas DPS spokesman Lt. Chris Olivarez tweeted photos and a video showing the arrest of Jose Juan Eufracio Medina, a Mexican national illegally present in the United States. Troopers, assigned to the border under Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, say Mecina guided a group of migrants across the Rio Grande.
After crossing the border river that separates Texas and Mexico, Medina allegedly used a makeshift ladder to help the migrants cross a border barrier.
Troopers arrested Media after the crossing and say he admitted being paying $1,000 to cross over the river and border barrier. He said he was headed to Houston and admitted to working for the Gulf Cartel, troopers reported.
Authorities identified the five migrants as citizens of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico.
In the video interview with Medina, he admitted being on the phone with a cartel “guide” who directed him on where to go with the migrant group. He claimed to be independent in the video.
Troopers arrested Medina and charged him with a state crime of smuggling persons, Olivarez reported.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. 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.