Illegal Immigrants from Africa Continue Crossing Rio Grande

EAGLE PASS, TX – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Eagle Pass Station apprehended a group of 37 undocumented immigrants from Central Africa on Saturday.

“We are continuing to see a rise in apprehensions of immigrants from countries not normally encountered in our area,” said Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Raul L. Ortiz. “Groups of family units from around the world are traveling thousands of miles just enter the United States illegally to exploit our immigration laws.”

On June 1, agents performing line watch operations arrested a group of 37 undocumented immigrants the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, two countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, after they illegally entered the United States by crossing the Rio Grande, the river that separates the U.S. from Mexico. The group was composed almost entirely of family units, including several small children. They were transported to the Eagle Pass South Border Patrol Station and processed per U.S. Customs and Border Protection guidelines.

Since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2019, which began Oct. 1, 2018, agents have apprehended more than 27,000 people from countries other than Mexico, from approximately 37 different countries. Del Rio Sector’s apprehensions of non-Mexican migrants this year has increased by nearly 500 percent over the same period in Fiscal Year 2018.

The Del Rio Border Patrol Sector is part of the Joint Task Force-West South Texas Corridor, which leverages federal, state and local resources to combat transnational criminal organizations. To report suspicious activity call the Del Rio Sector’s toll free number at 1-866-511-8727.