U.S.Border Patrol Apprehends Five Undocumented Aliens

EAGLE PASS, TX – U.S. Border Patrol marine agents working near Eagle Pass assisted with the apprehension of five undocumented aliens and saved one of them from drowning in the Rio Grande.

According to a press release, on Jan. 24, at approximately 12:45 p.m., agents from the Eagle Pass Station detected six individuals attempting to illegally cross into the United States on an inflatable raft. While agents intercepted the river crossers on the U.S. side, two suspected smugglers tried to take the raft and swim back to Mexico. With river levels unusually high, one man was able to safely return but the other became overwhelmed by the river current.

Struggling to stay afloat, the man was unable to make it to either riverbank. Border Patrol marine units pulled the individual onto their boat and then delivered him to agents on dry land. The man was taken into custody and transported to the Eagle Pass South Border Patrol Station for processing, per CBP guidelines.

During processing, it was discovered that the individual had a lengthy history with law enforcement. The subject, a 37-year-old from Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, had been previously arrested by U.S. Border Patrol and deported from the country multiple times.  The man had also been sentenced to six years imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. The press release identified the substance as cocaine. The man will face a federal judge in the near future and his prior order of deportation will be reinstated.  

“I am immensely proud of the actions that our agents took,” said Acting Chief Patrol Agent Matthew J. Hudak.  “Their vigilance not only helped to save a life, but also prevented a known criminal from committing further crimes.”