Migrants Damage New Trucks on Train near Border in Texas

Texas Department of Public Safety Special Operations Group and Del Rio Sector Border Patrol agents apprehended nearly 50 migrants hiding in rail cars carrying vehicles. During the search, law enforcement officers found new Dodge trucks that “sustained varying degrees of damage” from the migrants.

Texas DPS spokesman Lt. Chris Olivarez tweeted photos of multiple groups of migrants apprehended during train inspection operations near the border near Del Rio, Texas. During the operation, agents from the Special Operations Group and Border Patrol agents apprehended 46 migrants concealed in the rail cars carrying trucks. Many of the Dodge trucks being transported from Mexico to the U.S. sustained damage caused by the migrants.

DEL RIO – @TxDPS Special Operations Group (SOG) & #USBP searched several rail cars & located 46 illegal immigrants concealed inside. The rail cars were transporting Dodge trucks that sustained varying degrees of damage. #OperationLoneStar pic.twitter.com/ZFlNQqLxoh

— Chris Olivarez (@LtChrisOlivarez) March 16, 2023

Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Jason D. Owens also tweeted a video showing migrants apprehended after being detected by K-9 Rosso at rail yards in Eagle Pass, Texas.  The agents apprehended 27 migrants during the inspection of the trains. Owens reported that nine of these migrants have histories of being removed from the United States.

“Using trains to evade capture is a dangerous tactic, both for the migrants and our agents!” Owens stated.

A report released on Wednesday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials shows that Del Rio Sector agents apprehended 22,543 migrants in February. This brought the sector’s total to 193,598 migrant apprehensions for the first five months of Fiscal Year 2023. The new fiscal year began on October 1, 2022. The FY23 year-to-date apprehension numbers represent an increase of 26 percent over the same period last year, the report states.

The sector experienced increases in the apprehension of single adults (33.5 percent), unaccompanied migrant children (56.8 percent), and family units (1.1 percent).