Nine migrants drowned in the Rio Grande while attempting to cross from Mexico into Texas in a single day over the holiday weekend, making it one of the deadliest days at the river in U.S. history.
On Thursday, Border Patrol agents and other federal border agents in Eagle Pass, Texas, responded to a mass drowning situation. Agents pulled 37 migrants from the raging waters, which have become increasingly dangerous due to recent heavy rains upstream. Another 16 people were taken into custody, U.S. Customs and Border Protection told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday.
Across the river in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexican police encountered 39 migrants, most of whom were also rescued.
“Part of the rescue mission also led to the discovery of nine deceased migrants, three found by the Government of Mexico and six by agents,” CBP said in a statement.
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WILL PAY BORDER CITIES FOR COSTS OF BUSING MIGRANTS ACROSS US
Officials have not released the names or nationalities of the nine drowning victims.
Jason Owens, the top Border Patrol agent for the Del Rio region that encompasses Eagle Pass, urged migrants in Mexico to avoid making the dangerous river crossing.
The airboat is an indispensable tool utilized by our skilled Riverine agents. Highly maneuverable and able to run in very shallow water, these boats provide our agents a unique method of transportation and are key to the many rescues we encounter on the Rio Grande. pic.twitter.com/5ZIXzxb5Rg
— Chief Patrol Agent Jason D. Owens (@USBPChiefDRT) September 2, 2022
“This is a warning of extreme importance; the currents of the Rio Grande have become more dangerous due to recent and continuing rainfall and more rain is forecasted for the coming week,” Owens said in a statement. “Despite these adverse conditions, U.S. Border Patrol, Del Rio Sector continues to encounter large groups of more than 100+, 200+ attempting to cross the Rio Grande daily. … In an effort to prevent further loss of life, we are asking everyone to please avoid crossing illegally.”
Migrant deaths along the southern border have risen over the past 18 months in part because more people have been encountered attempting to enter the country illegally.
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Eagle Pass Fire Department Chief Manuel Mello told the Washington Examiner last week that his team has long been accustomed to pulling one or two deceased migrants from the river per month but that so many have drowned in recent months that they are now retrieving at least one body per day.
