U.S. border agents in Texas and Arizona this week caught a group of illegal immigrants being smuggled inside the bed of a pickup truck and another group hiding inside a train bound for the U.S. interior as large clusters of over 100 migrants continue to be spotted walking across the border.
In Texas, Department of Public Safety (DPS) Lt. Chris Olivarez on Wednesday said the agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents located 34 illegal immigrants inside a train and culvert in Maverick County.
The 24 men and 10 women were determined to all be from Mexico and turned over to CBP.
In Arizona’s Tucson Sector, agents thwarted a suspected human smuggling attempt on Friday, said Chief John Modlin. Ten migrants were found hiding inside a stopped pickup truck, including six discovered crammed inside the enclosed truck bed.
TEXAS BORDER OFFICIALS ARREST SUSPECTED HUMAN SMUGGLER, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AFTER HIGH-SPEED CHASE
Agents seized “personal use narcotics” and two guns. Modlin said three U.S. citizens are facing criminal smuggling charges in connection with the incident.
In Texas’ Rio Grande Valley Sector, CBP Chief Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez said two arrests were made Saturday after agents and DPS troopers responded to a report of an ATV driver carrying two passengers and bundles of what authorities later learned was 182 pounds of marijuana.
Border officials and DPS troopers discovered the ATV was hauling bundles of marijuana weighing 182 pounds.
(U.S. Border Patrol Rio Grande Valley Sector)
The driver was arrested after the ATV collided with a DPS vehicle. One passenger, a Mexican national, was also arrested. The second passenger eluded authorities. The two arrested were turned over to DPS to face state charges.
Meanwhile, massive groups of illegal immigrants have been seen walking into the country.
On Wednesday morning, two separate groups of about 200 migrants each were seen illegally crossing into the Eagle Pass area of Texas.
The Del Rio Sector in Texas has already seen over 50,000 illegal crossings since the new fiscal year began on Oct. 1, a CBP source told Fox News.
AT LEAST 64,000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS EVADED BORDER PATROL IN OCTOBER, 205,000 APPREHENSIONS
Chavez said groups of over 100 migrants were also encountered on Sunday and Monday in La Grulla, Texas, totaling 283 illegal immigrants.
Groups of over 100 migrants were encountered in in La Grulla, Texas, on Sunday and Monday, border authorities said.
(U.S. Border Patrol Rio Grande Valley Sector)
The groups were made up of 44 family members, 58 unaccompanied children, and 181 single adults, according to the agency. The migrants were nationals of Jamaica and various Central and South American countries.
Officials said the groups of illegal immigrants in La Grulla were made up of 44 family members, 58 unaccompanied children, and 181 single adults.
(U.S. Border Patrol Rio Grande Valley Sector)
CPB said there have been more than 3,000 gotaways every single week in the Rio Grande Valley Sector.
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More than 64,000 illegal immigrants evaded Border Patrol agents in October as agents made at least 205,000 migrant apprehensions, multiple CBP sources told Fox News.
October averaged over 2,000 gotaways per day – higher than the average in FY 2022, when there were nearly 600,000 gotaways overall, averaging about 50,000 a month.
Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
