Texas DPS Drone Pilot Spots 37 Migrants in Rail Car near Border

A Texas Department of Public Safety drone operator located a group of 37 migrants riding in an open-top rail car in Maverick County. The group included 36 adults and one minor.

The DPS drone pilot, working under Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, utilized thermal imaging to locate the group of 37 migrants, according to a tweet by state officials. Special Operations Group troopers went to the scene and located the migrants.

ICYMI: @TxDPS drone operators & Special Operations Group using thermal imaging located 37 illegal immigrants (36 adults/1 minor) concealed inside an open-top train car in Maverick Co. The immigrants, from MX, HN, GT, & SV, were referred to #USBP. #OperationLoneStar pic.twitter.com/oIhEnHVnTs

— TxDPS – South Texas Region (@TxDPSSouth) September 30, 2022

The group of migrants consisted of 36 adults and one minor from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Texas officials turned the group over to Del Rio Sector Border Patrol agents.

On the same day, Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Jason D. Owens tweeted a photo of a group of 30 migrants apprehended after a Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) pilot directed agents to their location.

Technology continues to play a large role in border security.
Utilizing a Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS), agents from the Eagle Pass Station were able to locate a group of subjects trying to make illegal entry under the cover of darkness.
The result: 30 migrants arrested! pic.twitter.com/l0ZD9nnyBC

— Chief Patrol Agent Jason D. Owens (@USBPChiefDRT) September 30, 2022

During the just-ended Fiscal Year 22, Del Rio Sector agents apprehended more than 480,000 migrants making it the busiest sector of the year, Breitbart Texas reported. This was an increase of nearly 85 percent over the prior fiscal year and a massive jump from FY20’s report of only 90,000 apprehensions.

As of August 31st, 322,531 single adults from over 118 countries have been apprehended in the Del Rio Sector this fiscal year. That accounts for over 75% of this sector’s apprehensions. pic.twitter.com/PdfIOS5Tv3

— Chief Patrol Agent Jason D. Owens (@USBPChiefDRT) September 29, 2022

Owens reported that as of August 31, the last official report from CBP officials, his agents apprehended 322,531 single adult migrants from 118 different countries.