Cannabis seizures at checkpoints by US-Mexico border frustrate state-authorized pot industry
The U.S. Border Patrol is asserting its authority to seize cannabis shipments amid complaints by licensed cannabis suppliers that shipments worth more than $300,000 have been confiscated in recent months at Border Patrol checkpoints in southern New Mexico.
Smugglers are bringing migrants to a remote Arizona border crossing, overwhelming US agents
The U.S. Border Patrol says it is overwhelmed by a shift in human smuggling routes, with hundreds of migrants from faraway countries like Senegal, Bangladesh and China being dropped in a remote desert area in Arizona.
Appeals court halts ruling that Border Patrol can legally cut Texasโ border concertina wire
Less than a week after a Del Rio-based federal judge ruled against Texas in the ongoing fight over the stateโs razor wire, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals paused that decision while it reviews the case.
Federal judge orders immigration agents to stop removing Texasโ concertina wire on the border
Border Patrol agents have cut through the stateโs wire to free migrants or take them into custody. Judge Alia Moses will hear arguments from Texas and the Biden administration next week to determine whether her temporary order will continue past Nov. 13.
Mexico charges 4 soldiers with killings in Nuevo Laredo
Mexican prosecutors formally presented homicide charges against four soldiers implicated in the Feb. 26 shooting deaths of five men in the border city of Nuevo Laredo. The killings in the cartel-dominated city of Nuevo Laredo, across the border from Laredo, Texas, caused outrage.
US, Canada end loophole that let asylum-seekers cross border
The immigration deal announced by U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau aims to shut down a process that has enabled tens of thousands of immigrants from across the world to move between the countries and pursue asylum cases without going through an official border crossing.
Border patrol agents criticized for treatment of Haitian migrants in Del Rio as U.S. tries to dissuade more from coming
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned would-be migrants that โyour journey will not succeedโ and promised to investigate the actions of mounted agents at the Rio Grande.
Gov. Greg Abbott says more apprehensions, drug seizures justify a border wall. Advocates say he's misrepresenting the numbers.
The governor said Texas needs to build a border wall to reduce migrant apprehensions and fentanyl seizures. But immigration and drug treatment experts say Abbott's oversimplifying the issue.
Bipartisan group of Texas lawmakers announces legislation to ease crowding at border facilities
Authorities: Smugglers drop children, ages 3 and 5, over US border wall
SANTA TERESA, N.M. โ Video released Wednesday by federal authorities show two Ecuadoran children being abandoned by smugglers after they were dropped over a 14-foot-high barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border. The toddler and her 5-year-old sister were unhurt, but officials with the U.S. Border Patrol called the incident appalling. In some cases, parents refused entry into the U.S. have sent their children across the border alone, hoping they eventually will be placed with relatives. The video shows the person lowering the children one at a time before letting them drop to the ground below. They currently remain at a Border Patrol temporary holding facility pending placement by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department.
Nonprofit organization helping asylum seekers in Eagle Pass
EAGLE PASS, Texas โ The nonprofit organization Mission: Border Hope in Eagle Pass is working closely with U.S. Border Patrol to help asylum seekers who are being released after theyโve been processed. But of course, itโs a lot of family units, people with children, pregnant moms,โ said Valeria Wheeler, executive director of Mission: Border Hope. The mayor of Eagle Pass said the increase of asylum seekers and migrants is putting a significant strain on Border Patrol agents. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it is constructing a facility to hold migrants who cross the border in Eagle Pass. CBP released the following statement:โCBP is currently constructing a soft sided facility in Eagle Pass, TX to help accommodate migrants in our custody.
Immigrant teens to be housed at Dallas convention center
The Border Patrol is holding children longer because there is next to no space in the HHS system, similar to the last major increase in migration two years ago. A tent facility operated by the Border Patrol in Donna, some 500 miles (804 kilometers) south of Dallas, is holding more than 1,000 children and teenagers, some as young as 4. โThereโs no other way to claim it than a Biden border crisis.โTexas Gov. Dallas previously offered space to HHS during the 2014 surge of crossings of immigrant children. HHS also has said it will house immigrant youths in Midland.
Migrant apprehensions continued upward trend in February
Asylum seekers who turned themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol get onto a transport bus in Hidalgo in 2019. (Credit: REUTERS/Loren Elliott)Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. The Biden administration has also refused to call the situation a โcrisisโ but acknowledged on Wednesday that striking a balance between messaging and compassion is an uphill climb. Abbott lambasted the Biden administrationโs immigration policies and said they indicate he cares less about Americans than he does foreigners. Jacobson said about 3,000 minors had previously qualified but were left out of the program after Trump ended it in 2017.
Arizona border deaths hit 10-year high after record heat
The previous annual high mapped by the Pima County Medical Examinerโs Office in Tucson and the nonprofit Humane Borders was 224 migrant deaths in 2010. Despite the increase in deaths, U.S. Border Patrol apprehension figures suggest that the number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in Arizona has actually fallen by almost 50% over 10 years. From January to September 2020, the Border Patrol listed 43 deaths in the Arizona border area. Arizona is not the only place with fluctuations in border deaths over the years. The Brooks County sheriff's office said this week that migrant deaths in its jurisdiction fell to 34 last year from 45 in 2019.
Judge orders Trump administration to stop immediate deportations of unaccompanied immigrant minors
At least 13,000 unaccompanied children had been removed from the country under the order, the ACLU said in a statement. Before the order, children who turned themselves in to Border Patrol after crossing the border were processed by federal agents and then put in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The number of unaccompanied minors crossing the border reached record levels under the Obama administration in 2014, specifically in the Rio Grande Valley. But the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that the administration didnโt properly halt the program. But lawyers for DACA recipients said after a hearing Wednesday that more guidance will be issued next month.
One killed in shooting by Border Patrol agent in Texas
LAREDO, Texas โ A U.S. Border Patrol agent investigating suspected human smuggling with other agents in Texas fatally shot a person driving a vehicle carrying people believed to be in the country illegally, federal officials said Saturday. Border Patrol agents, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and the Webb County constable's office had stopped a semi in Laredo Friday and found several people inside the trailer, according to a statement from Customs and Border Protection spokesperson Rick Pauza..Another semi then arrived at the scene, according to a statement, and law officers identified themselves and were approaching the tractor-trailer when the driver began moving in reverse, pinning a Border Patrol agent against another vehicle. Other agents then opened fire, shooting the driver, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The injured agent was taken to a hospital, where he as treated and released Saturday, according to the statement. The shooting is being investigated by Laredo police, the FBI, the border patrol and ICE, the statement said.
Border Patrol agents arrest former Texas police chief for smuggling undocumented immigrants, affidavit states
Border Patrol agent speaks to the driver of a tractor-trailer passing through the Laredo North vehicle checkpoint in Laredo, Texas, on Friday, Feb. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Nomaan Merchant)LAREDO, Texas โ The former interim police chief of Dilley was arrested after admitting to transporting undocumented people across a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Laredo, according to a criminal complaint obtained by KSAT and local media reports. When the U.S. Border Patrol agent asked Fonseca-Saldivar if there were any other occupants in the tractor, he responded, โIโm the only person here,โ according to the criminal complaint. The three people and Fonseca-Saldivar were arrested by the agents and taken into Border Patrol custody for further investigation. AdThe criminal complaint states Jonathan Antillon-Salgado, a citizen of Mexico and material witness in the case, told agents he made arrangements to be smuggled into the U.S. for $3,000.
During slowdown, Border Patrol prepares for more water rescues
The usually quiet Del Rio sector saw a record 19 drownings and 350 water rescues during fiscal year 2019, according to Border Patrol Assistant Chief Agent Brady Waikel. Waikel said the sector's water rescues accounted for almost half of all water rescues along the 2,000-mile southwest border. So I told my partner, 'Weโve got to get somebody in the water,'" Gomez said. "The kid's eyes opened up and (he) coughed up water," Gomez said. Border Patrol Marine training (KSAT)The entire time, Gomez said the boy's parents were clinging to a nearby rock in the river.
Officials: Eagle Pass expected to see boost in law enforcement presence
EAGLE PASS, Texas โ Officials on Friday afternoon provided an update to information on the caravan on the Mexican border with Eagle Pass. U.S. Border Patrol agents rescued five Honduran migrants in Eagle Pass who were nearly swept away while trying to cross the Rio Grande River illegally. The city of Eagle Pass is expected to see a boost in law enforcement presence. Along with border officials, troopers with the Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas National Guard are also in the border city, and even more Guard troops are expected on Monday. AdThe caravan of migrants continues to be held in a shelter in Piedras Negras as they wait to file asylum claims.
RGV Border Patrol on standby as migrant caravanโs border destination still unknown
VICTORIA, Texas โ Manuel Padilla Jr., U.S. Border Patrol chief for the Rio Grande Valley, who was in Victoria Friday for an event, said his 3,300 agents are on standby should the approaching migrant caravan arrive at the South Texas border. Padilla said he's heard reports that the migrants, who have been traveling through southern Mexico, plan to stage a rally in Mexico City. "We may have a better idea then," Padilla said, regarding their destination along the U.S.-Mexico border. He said as it is, the Rio Grande Valley already has seen a 113 percent increase in apprehensions of families and unaccompanied minors for fiscal year 2018. โThat is whatโs inciting the caravans and the large groups, is our inability that we have right now to remove people to their countries.โ
Arizona Sheriff shares images of drug cartel tunnels found in border town
SAN DIEGO โ Day 6 (Friday): (10:08 p.m.) In the eyes of many immigrants who cross into the United States from Mexico illegally, the journey into America is well worth the risk. The LineThe San Diego Medical Examiner's Department is working closely with Border Patrol and the Mexican Consulate to help identify bodies of those found along the U.S.-Mexico border. Story at 10 p.m. #KSATBorderJourney #TheLine #TX2CALI pic.twitter.com/m49Bh9U2r3 โ Tiffany Huertas (@tiffanychuertas) July 28, 2018(6:33 p.m.) The #KSATBorderJourney arrives at its final destination: San Diego, California. โWe have a very good relationship with our counterparts in Mexico,โ agent Joe Romero, a supervisor for the Border Patrolโs El Paso Sector, said. During his time as sheriff, Estrada said the first drug cartel tunnel ever discovered in the country was in Nogales, Arizona, which is the county seat.
How officials identify deceased immigrants found along US-Mexico border
The LineThe San Diego Medical Examiner's Department is working closely with Border Patrol and the Mexican Consulate to help identify bodies of those found along the U.S.-Mexico border. When it comes to identifying undocumented immigrants who were found dead near the California-Mexico border, the challenges begin well before the body arrives at his facility. AdWhile every case for the San Diego Medical Examinerโs Office is different, Estrada said they treat every one of them with the utmost respect. Estrada said the medical examinerโs office works with the U.S. Border Patrol and the Mexican Consulate to identify the deceased undocumented immigrants. With technology advancing every day, he said it is helping the San Diego Medical Examinerโs Office in identifying bodies faster.
How Border Patrol is combating drug cartels, illegal activity from Ciudad Juarรฉz
EL PASO โ In any profession around the world, communication is one of the most important tools in the workplace. For the U.S. Border Patrol in El Paso, however, it is the number one key element to protecting the largest border metroplex in the nation, covering more than 260 miles. โWe have a very good relationship with our counterparts in Mexico,โ agent Joe Romero, a supervisor for the Border Patrolโs El Paso Sector, said. The creation back in 1924 also marked the beginning of the U.S. Border Patrol. You have law enforcement on the Mexican side (and) Border Patrol agents on the U.S. side.
PICS: El Paso Border Patrol gives tour of border wall near Ciudad Juarรฉz
(3:50 p.m.) The U.S. Border Patrol in El Paso gave KSAT a tour on the south end side of the border wall, steps away from Ciudad Juarรฉz, Mexico. Itโs right there too but much smaller than what most people in Rio Grande Valley are used to seeing. (11:02 p.m.) Before KSAT travels six hours west from El Paso, Texas, to Nogales, Arizona, the U.S. Border Patrol's West Texas Sector shared information regarding its region. Agent Joe Romero, a spokesman for the Border Patrol, said West Texas agents patrol the largest border metroplex in the nation of more than 260 miles. Romero said the sector has to deal with both the El Paso and Ciudad Juarรฉz communities, which have a combined population of nearly 3 million people.
Rio Grande Valley landowners living along the border share experiences with immigrants
RIO GRANDE VALLEY โ DAY 2 (MONDAY): (11:35 p.m.) KSAT began its journey along the U.S.-Mexico border leaving the Rio Grande Valley around 2 a.m. to El Paso, Texas, where reporter Tiffany Huertas will meet with several people that include the U.S. Border Patrolโs Southwest Sector. (10:15 p.m.) The Border Patrol Rio Grande Valley Sector remains the busiest in the county with more than 14,000 apprehensions just last month. While on a ride along with the RGV Sector, Border Patrol agents spotted a group of immigrants who had crossed over the Rio Grande illegally to the United States. (5:15 p.m.) Rio Grande Valley landowners living along the Texas-Mexico border share their experiences on interacting with immigrants who cross the nearby Rio Grande. This facility is being used for the overflow of people from Catholic Charities of Rio Grande Valley.
Rescue beacons help locate immigrants in distress
BROOKS COUNTY, Texas โ Immigrants trudging across the unforgiving sandy terrain of Brooks County may not believe their eyes when they encounter a tall, antenna-looking structure with a blue light on top. Since 2008, U.S. Border Patrol has set up six rescue beacons in Brooks County because of its desert-like conditions and high rate of immigrant deaths. Huey said Border Patrol has helped rescue 120 immigrants since last year, but the sector already has recorded 40 deaths. Last year, the Brooks County Sheriff's Office reported more than sixty immigrant deaths, while just last week at least three bodies were recovered in remote areas. She said once the beacons are activated, a distress signal is triggered that leads agents with global positioning systems to locate the immigrants.
Desperate immigrants call Brooks County 911
Brooks County dispatchers often receive calls from illegal immigrants who are lost in brush and desperately seeking help. BROOKS COUNTY, Texas โ Illegal immigrants overcome by the South Texas heat often call Brooks County 911, triggering an all-out search by sheriffโs deputies and U.S. Border Patrol. Weโre not going to let them die out here,โ said Rey Rodriguez, Brooks County sheriff. โYes, yes,โ he said. โVargas, Vargas,โ Angel kept repeating a name scrawled on a fence post.