Border Patrol agents and Texas Highway Patrol troopers worked together to capture two groups of illegal aliens attempting to escape from authorities and secure entry into the United States. In all, a total of 19 illegal aliens were captured near Eagle Pass, Texas, including six Chinese nationals, considered by DHS to be Special Interest Aliens (SIAs).
In stark contrast to the thousands of daily illegal border crossings near the small Texas border town during the Biden administration, new border security policies under the Trump administration have deterred most illegal aliens from attempting the crossing. Despite the stronger border security measures that ended the practice of “catch and release” at the border, a small number of illegal aliens continue to attempt the trek, hoping to get into the country using remote border ranches to elude detection and capture.
A group of illegal aliens apprehended in Maverick County consisted of seven nationals from five different countries, including Mexico, Guatemala, India, Ecuador, and Cuba. Border Patrol agents apprehended the group on a remote ranch with the help of a Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol K-9 tracking team.
Later in the evening, Border Patrol agents captured a group of 12 illegal aliens that included six Chinese nationals, all dressed in camouflage. According to a Texas DPS Highway Patrol spokesperson, the joint arrests by Border Patrol and Highway Patrol troopers highlight ongoing law enforcement efforts to deter criminal activity along the southern border and the critical partnership between Texas DPS and federal agents under Operation Lone Star.
The influx of Chinese nationals has dropped significantly since President Trump enacted stiff border control measures, which have seen the reduction of apprehensions from the communist country. According to CBP in 2024, nearly 40,000 Chinese nationals were apprehended by the Border Patrol after entering the United States along the Southwest border. Only 334 Chinese nationals have been apprehended in the first seven months of Fiscal Year 2026.
The use of remote ranches and the tactic of donning camouflage clothing to reduce detection and avoid apprehension after crossing the border illegally do not guarantee success, according to a source within CBP. The source told Breitbart Texas that reduced illegal crossings along the southwest border and the end of “catch and release” have freed up Border Patrol agents to saturate areas that once lacked routine patrols. The existing partnership with the Texas Department of Public Safety adds to the agency’s ability to reduce the likelihood that a group of illegal border crossers will be able to escape.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before 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 X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.