EAGLE PASS, Texas — Multiple local, state, and federal law enforcement entities in Mexico posted along the banks of the Rio Grande in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, in a show of force as the end of the Title 42 COVID-19 expulsion authority nears. At daybreak on Wednesday, Breitbart Texas observed the Mexican police exercise that brought migrant crossings to a complete, albeit temporary, shutdown just across the border from Eagle Pass.
The large convoy of Mexican law enforcement arrived just before daybreak. The task force assembled near the Camino Real International Bridge that connects the two border cities of Eagle Pass, Texas, and Piedras Negras, Mexico. The convoy included local municipal police, Mexico’s Federal Investigative Agency (AFI), Mexico’s National Institute of Immigration officers (INM), and Mexican Army soldiers.
Mexican military, police, and immigration authorities gather on the south bank of the Rio Grande as the end of Title 42 nears. (Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas)
In addition to the presence of law enforcement authorities on the banks of the Rio Grande, several airboats belonging to Mexico’s INM rescue unit, Grupo Beta, were launched and began patrols in the water. Simultaneously, Texas Army National Guard soldiers began marine patrols launching several inflatable watercraft from the U.S. side of the river. The Texas Army National Guard soldiers patrolling the Rio Grande are part of Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star.
Mexican immigration’s Grupo Beta rescue boats initiate patrols along the Rio Grande between Piedras Negras and Eagle Pass. (Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas)
According to a source within Customs and Border Protection, not authorized to speak to the media, migrant crossings into Eagle Pass have climbed in recent weeks to more than 1,000 per day on average. On Tuesday, agents in the Del Rio Sector apprehended nearly 1,700 migrants, another law enforcement source reported. The level of migrant crossings is rising steadily as the deadline for the expiration of Title 42 nears according to multiple sources. Wednesday’s operation in Mexico is likely a temporary show of force that will halt migrant traffic near the border city’s center but will not impact migrants choosing to cross in more remote areas according to the CBP source.
Mexican law enforcement authorities talk with a migrant in Piedras Negras. (Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas)
On the United States side of the border, several CBP Office of Field Operations managers met with Texas Army National Guard soldiers posted near the Camino Real International Bridge as the operation in Mexico unfolded. The lack of federal law enforcement posted along the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass was noticeable. As migrant apprehensions climb, routine field patrols are reduced and limited to more remote areas where large migrant groups will likely cross the Rio Grande to avoid interference by the Mexican authorities.
CBP OFO officers meet with Texas National Guard soldiers in Eagle Pass near the end of Title 42. (Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas)
Within hours of the initial assembly of law enforcement authorities in Mexico, the groups of officers and soldiers in Mexico moved to points north and south of the port of entry and assumed stationary positions to deter migrants from reaching the river’s edge.
The Border Patrol’s Del Rio Sector, which includes Eagle Pass, led the nation in migrant apprehensions in fiscal year 2022, with more than half of a million migrants choosing to cross the Rio Grande into the area. A sharp decline was seen after the application of the Title 42 expulsion authority for Venezuelan migrants in October. In April, 20,000 migrants were arrested within the sector, down from 42,000 in October 2022.
So far, Eagle Pass has not seen the surge in migrant crossings to the extent other sectors of the Border Patrol are encountering elsewhere. In El Paso, as reported by Breitbart Texas, migrants have resorted to sheltering along the sidewalks and alleyways within the downtown area as charity shelters have reached capacity. In Brownsville, Breitbart Texas observed the continuous flow of mostly Venezuelan migrants quickly surrendering after fording the Rio Grande.
With less than 36 hours for the use of the Title 42 COVID-19 expulsion authority remaining, Wednesday’s display of force in Mexico shows tension appears to be running high on both sides of the border.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.