A group of nearly 100 migrants, including some young children, was observed marching away from the Rio Grande after breaching border barriers near the heart of downtown Eagle Pass, Texas. The migrants strolled through the city streets and were observed by residents who notified authorities of the breach.
Although migrant crossings have been significantly reduced in recent months due to actions taken by Mexican authorities and the State of Texas, some migrants are still managing to make it into the United States.
One resident captured several photos of the large migrant group strolling through her neighborhood on Tuesday just as the Border Patrol arrived to make the arrest. The group managed to breach concertina wire installed along the Rio Grande by state authorities deployed to fortify the border under Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star. A Customs and Border Protection source, not authorized to speak to the media, says many in the group will likely be released to pursue asylum claims within the United States.
The group consisted of nationals from various countries, including Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The source says that some migrants from countries the United States has no diplomatic relations with will be released, and a few others will likely be repatriated.
As reported by Breitbart Texas, some migrant caravans are still attempting the long journey toward the United States-Mexico border despite the increased efforts in Mexico to reduce crossings. In Oaxaca, the state government provided some migrants with buses to move out of the state and into Puebla. Despite the advances, the group may be stalled if Mexico’s Army National Guard or the National Institute of Migration intervenes in the group’s progress.
Still, as evidenced by Tuesday’s incursion into Eagle Pass, some migrants are still managing to elude the efforts by Mexican authorities and enter the United States. The Del Rio Sector, which includes Eagle Pass, has seen a 51 percent decline in apprehensions for the month of April when compared to last year. In April 2023, more than 20,000 migrants were apprehended, mostly in Eagle Pass, compared to 10,200 in April 2024.
Once the busiest Border Patrol Sector for migrant crossings in the nation, the sector now sits in the third spot behind Tucson and San Diego as efforts in Mexico to thwart the crossings have shifted migrant traffic farther west.
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.