EAGLE PASS, Texas — Border Patrol agents found an abandoned migrant toddler wandering the banks of the Rio Grande early Tuesday. Shortly after midnight, in 30-degree weather, the toddler was wearing little more than a hoodie for warmth.
The Border Patrol is working to identify the child and will ultimately transfer custody to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Once transferred, the child will be released into the United States with relatives or sponsors.
Agents are becoming accustomed to the routine of finding small children abandoned by human smugglers. In early February, as reported by Breitbart, two migrant toddlers were found roaming on the banks of the Rio Grande.
The migrant children in some cases are smuggled across the border in larger groups with unrelated adults. On Tuesday, Agents in Sasabe, Arizona arrested 51 migrants, 43 of whom were unaccompanied migrant children from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The youngest in that group was five years old.
In January, the agency encountered nearly 9,000 unaccompanied migrant children. Since October 2021, 47,383 unaccompanied migrant children have been arrested crossing the southwest border. As of Monday, there were 10,513 unaccompanied migrant children in federal custody awaiting release to U.S. sponsors.
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.
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