EXCLUSIVE: Dozens of Migrants Apprehended by Guard, Agents in 12 Hours at Texas Border Crossing

EAGLE PASS, Texas — Border Patrol agents and Texas National Guard soldiers apprehended nearly 100 migrants in a 12-hour period in about a mile-long border crossing area.

Breitbart Texas visited the Rio Grande border crossing area just south of downtown on Thursday. Beginning at about 9 a.m., migrants began crossing and surrendering to the first available Border Patrol agent or soldier.

During the next 12 hours, nearly 100 migrants illegally crossed. The migrants included men, women, and young children.

Border Patrol agents and Guardsmen identified the migrants as citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti, Honduras, and Guatemala.

When agents were available, they quickly processed the migrants and documented their identifications. When no agents were present, National Guard soldiers escorted the migrants to a holding area and waited for agents to take them into custody.

The Texas National Guard soldiers are currently patrolling the border under Operation Lone Star. Breitbart also observed federalized Guardsmen from North Dakota patrolling the Rio Grande.

“It is a steady flow, every day,” one National Guard soldier told Breitbart. “We see the smugglers drop them off on the Mexican side of the river and then they make their way across.”

Due to a release of water from a dam located upstream, the water in the Rio Grande was higher and moving much more swiftly compared to February. The increased water flow makes the crossing much more difficult.

On this day, Breitbart observed migrants losing their footing while hitting unexpected drop-offs in the river. None required rescue.

River unit agents told Breitbart they frequently have to rescue migrants in danger of drowning. When asked about a four-year-old child who disappeared last week, an agent said they had not found the child yet, but said they expected to find the child’s body on this day.

A few hours later, river unit agents found the lifeless body of the child who finally came to the surface.

Throughout the day, Mexican Marines and National Guard soldiers in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, encountered migrants and stopped them from crossing — at least temporarily. When they could not respond in time, the Marines signaled law enforcement on the Texas side that crossings were underway.

As darkness fell in the area, crossings continued. Some migrants crossed in order to surrender to agents or Guardsmen. Others used the group crossings as a diversion to occupy the law enforcement resources while they escaped into the brush.

By the end of the day, nearly 100 migrants crossed. Breitbart witnessed the crossings of small children in the arms of family members, at least two pregnant women, and multiple single adult males.