According to a source within CBP, Border Patrol records show the running average for known got-aways nationwide remains 97 percent below record peaks set in 2023. Once reaching an average of more than 2,000 per day high in 2023, totals show less than 50 known got-aways are being recorded nationwide on most days.
The report shows only 640 got-aways were recorded during a 14-day period in April. According to the source, the agency is conducting special operations in several southwest border sectors to achieve further reductions.
As reported by Breitbart Texas, a similar Border Patrol report revealed that within just the first six months of fiscal year 2023, more than 400,000 migrants were classified as known got-aways. The total of known illegal alien got-aways is tabulated through intelligence gathered by Border Patrol agents who detect footprints during routine patrols and can include human intelligence gathered from illegal aliens apprehended.
In addition to agent-gathered information used to estimate got-aways, the agency relies on citizen reports, high-tech security camera systems that include radar capabilities, and manned/unmanned aerial platforms.
According to the source, several special operations have helped reduce the number of got-aways to record lows, but the goal is to eliminate all known got-aways. “It’s a lofty goal and one that gets harder as the smugglers try to get more creative,” the source added. One such operation, “Operation Agile Shield,” involves sending 200 volunteer Border Patrol agents from across the country to Laredo, Texas, to help further reduce the number.
“Laredo is a unique environment where more than 10,000 commercial trucks enter the United States daily, that many semi-tractor trailers entering the country and leaving the area is a draw for smugglers. We patrol industrial parks where alien smuggling is likely to occur, colonias just outside the incorporated area of the city, and on remote ranches.”
According to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 2,045,838 apprehensions were made by the Border Patrol along the southwest border in 2023. The monthly average of illegal alien border arrests during that peak year of illegal entries under the Biden administration was more than 170,000. Many were released into the United States to pursue asylum claims.
CBP has reported a total of 42, 757 illegal alien arrests at the southwest border for fiscal year 2026, between October and March. The monthly average of illegal arrests is down by 95 percent from the 2023 peak monthly average for illegal alien border apprehensions of 170,000 to slightly more than 7,000 arrests for the first six months of fiscal year 2026.
The source told Breitbart Texas the milestones achieved at the southwest border are the result of policy changes and successful messaging regarding consequences. “They know release at the immediate border is not happening anymore,” the source added. According to the Department of Homeland Security, March 2026 marked the tenth straight month of zero illegal alien releases at the border.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before 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 X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
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