A total of 111 migrants were taken into Customs and Border Protection custody within 24 hours in three trucks alone, following multiple inspections this week, the government body announced on Wednesday.
On Monday, agents nabbed 44 individuals from a tractor-trailer in Laredo, Texas, following a canine search. Minutes later, another 43 migrants were removed from a tanker truck, and on Tuesday, a third rig was found to be harboring 24 people.
The incident drew the attention of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who tweeted, “This is a crisis.”
This is a crisis. https://t.co/xMyCk4nipY
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 11, 2021
CBP authorities identified the perpetrators as possible human smugglers and said those in custody hailed from “Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.” Law enforcement also noted none of the suspected illegal immigrants were wearing masks or other protective gear.
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“Human smugglers continue to have no regard for the safety and health of the people they exploit for profit. With a noted increase in COVID-19 infections among detainees, the transporting of large groups of people without PPE in close dangerous quarters endangers the individuals and safety of our Nation,” the agency wrote. “The Laredo Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol focuses on its enduring mission priorities of countering terrorism, combatting transnational crime, securing the border, facilitating lawful trade, protecting revenue, and facilitating lawful travel.”
Cruz, alongside many of his GOP colleagues, has criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the border surge as CBP reported over 100,000 attempted illegal crossings for the month of February and a 50% uptick in drug seizures.
“How much more will it take for the Biden administration to admit there is a crisis on the border?” Cruz asked in an earlier tweet.
The Republican’s comments are likely a response to remarks made by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who likened the surge in migrants to a “challenge” rather than a crisis, despite reports that an unprecedented 117,000 unaccompanied migrant children are set to make their way to the United States by the end of the year.
President Biden and his cohort have also come under fire for their treatment of solo children, which many on both sides of the aisle have equated to policies employed by former President Donald Trump, who was accused of placing the minors in jail-like facilities.
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More than 3,200 children have been moved to holding centers, which are designed to house adults, under the watch of CBP as detention buildings near a breaking point. Of the sum, 1,400 have remained in custody past the 72-hour limit in small, concrete rooms without beds, dubbed “hieleras,” or iceboxes.
