Texas is seeing a surge in illegal border crossings as smugglers change routes from Arizona to exploit fewer Border Patrol resources in the Rio Grande Valley area. According to an internal agency report obtained by AP, the Border Patrol made over 148,000 arrests in the most southern part of Texas from Oct. 1, 2013, through May 17, 2014. At this rate, arrests will match those of the previous year in just eight months.
Hondurans, El Salvadorians and Guatemalans were caught in greater numbers than Mexicans. Apprehensions in the southern Texas area surpassed those in the Tucson, AZ sector for the first time last year. Officers admit that many illegals get by, even though in May they were stopping an average of 1,100 per day.
“I don’t think we have anywhere near the resources that we would require to even make a dent in what we’ve got going on here'” Chris Cabrera, a McAllen Border Patrol agent told AP. “I think it’s common knowledge that we don’t have the resources. That’s why they’re coming in droves like they are. They’re exploiting a weakness that they’ve found, and quite frankly they’re doing a good job of it.”
Posted 5/27/14 by Andrew Lewis