Large Groups Encountered in 24-Hours in RGV
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
EDINBURG (News Release) – Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector (RGV) agents have logged 845 migrants within 24-hours, as apprehensions along the Rio Grande of south Texas prove another busy month in July.
On Tuesday, July 27, Rio Grande City Border Patrol Station agents working near La Grulla, Texas, encountered a group of 336 migrants as they walked from the Rio Grande into the United States, which, at the time, was the largest group encountered this summer. The group consisted of 328 family members and eight unaccompanied children. Many within the group suffered from dehydration and exhaustion. Border Patrol Emergency Medical Technicians responded and provided medical assistance to those in need before being sent to the hospital for further treatment. The migrants encountered are from Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and the majority from Guatemala.
Later that night, McAllen Border Patrol Station agents working near Hidalgo encountered 509 migrants which included 331 family members, 115 unaccompanied children, and 63 single adults. These apprehensions account for the single largest group apprehended thus far, this year. RGV Sector began tracking large groups in 2007 and last night’s encounter is by far, one of the largest to date. This group consisted of migrants from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Venezuela.
RGV agents continue to encounter significant numbers of undocumented migrants crossing the border and our federal, state, and local partnerships are indispensable as we work to secure our border and work to quickly move individuals out of USBP custody and through the appropriate immigration pathway. “From the river to ranchlands, our agents are doing everything they can to locate and rescue individuals who are lost or distressed, and we are witnessing firsthand that migrants are experiencing the worst as their trek to the border is unforgiving,” said Chief Patrol Agent Brian Hastings.
To date, RGV has accounted for over 700 rescues this fiscal year.
