Border Crisis: Agents Apprehend Nearly 500 Illegal Aliens in Three Large Groups

EDINBURG, Texas – Over the weekend, Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol agents encountered 494 illegal immigrants in three large groups in Hidalgo and Starr Counties.

Rio Grande City Border Patrol Station agents encountered two large groups totaling 373 illegal immigrants in Starr County. The immigrants were from Cuba, and various Central and South American countries.

Additionally, McAllen Border Patrol Station agents encountered another large group totaling 121 illegal aliens in Hidalgo County that came from Georgia, Ecuador, and Central American countries.

Rio Grande Valley agents have encountered more than 130 large groups illegally entering the United States since October 2021, resulting in more than 21,000 migrant apprehensions. The logistics required to transport and process groups of this size continues to place a strain on manpower and resources, as they are often encountered in desolate areas inaccessible to large transport vehicles. A group of more than 100  immigrants is considered a large group.

In a July 2022 deposition, Border Chief Raul Ortiz said that they typically see this kind of increase in illegal activity at the border “when there are no consequences” clearly referring to the Biden administration’s open borders policy.

In addition, the attorney pressed Ortiz, asking, “Since President Biden was elected, does this document indicate that aliens illegally entering the United States perceive that they will be able to enter and remain in the United States?”

“Yes,” he told the lawyers while under oath.