EAGLE PASS, Texas — A Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) drone operator spotted what appears to be an armed migrant smuggler guiding a group of migrants into the United States. The incident occurred in downtown Eagle Pass upstream of a floating buoy barrier that was put in place to prevent or divert migrant crossings. The footage captured by the drone operator shows the migrant smuggler carrying what the agency describes as a long gun as he guides a group of eleven migrants across the Rio Grande on Thursday.
Several DPS patrol drone still photos provided by the agency show the smuggler alone and with the group of migrants as they approach the Texas bank of the river. The agency believes the rifle to be an AR platform, noting the similarity to a popular lightweight, small-caliber sporting rifle manufactured by ArmaLite, an American manufacturer.
Armed Smuggler on U.S. bank of Rio Grande. (Texas Department of Public Safety)
According to a DPS spokesperson, the migrant smuggler returned to Mexico after guiding the group into the United States and was not arrested. The incident occurred north of Shelby Park, less than a mile from the city’s downtown area. Until recently, the park had been designated as private property under an agreement signed by the city’s mayor.
The agreement came under Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star border security initiative. The agreement resulted in migrants being jailed for criminal trespass after crossing the Rio Grande and entering the Shelby Park grounds. The charge of criminal trespass in Texas is considered a Class B misdemeanor and can carry a fine of up to $2,000 or up to 180 days of jail without enhancements.
Most migrants charged under the offense plead guilty and are later turned over to the Border Patrol to face administrative disposition of their immigration or asylum claims.
Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas entered into the agreement in June after being approached by the state. As reported by Breitbart Texas, at a city council meeting on Tuesday, the mayor and four council members voted unanimously to revoke the agreement.
The action taken by the council comes as the Biden administration pursues legal action to force Governor Abbott to remove the floating barrier amid complaints from Mexico’s President Andres Lopez Obrador.
The migrants guided by the armed smuggler on Thursday were interdicted by the Border Patrol and transported to a nearby Border Patrol processing facility according to Lieutenant Chris Olivarez, a Texas DPS Spokesperson.
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.