20 Migrants Found Hiding in West Texas Mountains near Border

Big Bend Sector Border Patrol agents teamed up with state and federal aviation aircrews to locate and apprehend 20 migrants hiding in the mountains south of Van Horn, Texas.

Big Bend Sector Chief Patrol Agent Sean L. McGoffin tweeted photos of a group of migrants apprehended by Van Horn Station agents this week. After detecting the migrants by utilizing mobile surveillance technology, the agents called for air cover to find the group.

U.S. Border Patrol agents from Van Horn Station, with the assistance of air support from Air and Marine Operations, the Department of Public Safety Air Unit and mobile surveillance technology apprehended a group of over 20 undocumented non-citizens south of Van Horn, Texas. pic.twitter.com/2tdESwV9BN

— Chief Patrol Agent Sean L. McGoffin (@USBPChiefBBT) May 5, 2022

Helicopter aircrews from the Texas Department of Public Safety and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations began a search and led ground-based agents from the Van Horn Station to the migrants’ location. The agents found the migrants wearing camouflage clothing to avoid detection.

McGoffin did not reveal any demographic information regarding the migrants who were taken into custody after the search operation.

A few days earlier, Marfa Station agents conducting sign-cutting operations south of the town of Marfa, Texas, apprehended another group of migrants who illegally entered the United States and were attempting to avoid apprehension.

U.S. Border Patrol agents from Van Horn Station, with the assistance of air support from Air and Marine Operations, the Department of Public Safety Air Unit and mobile surveillance technology apprehended a group of over 20 undocumented non-citizens south of Van Horn, Texas. pic.twitter.com/2tdESwV9BN

— Chief Patrol Agent Sean L. McGoffin (@USBPChiefBBT) May 5, 2022

During the first six months of Fiscal Year 2022, which began on October 1, 2021, Big Bend Sector agents apprehended nearly 20,000 migrants. While the sector records the least number of migrant apprehensions of the nine southwest border sectors, the majority of migrants apprehended are attempting to avoid detection and apprehension like the incidents above.