Texas Highway Patrol troopers intercepted a large group of migrants Monday shortly after they crossed the shallow Rio Grande River north of Eagle Pass. This large group was one of two groups stopped by authorities that day. A Texas Highway Patrol spokesperson said the 27 migrants in the group were “aliens of special interest” and were nationals of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Egypt and India.
A second group of 41 immigrants was arrested earlier in the day, bringing the total number of immigrants arrested by the Texas Army National Guard and Texas Police in the Eagle Pass area to 271 on Monday.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials say many in the group will be unable to return to their home countries and will eventually be released to the U.S. to seek asylum. The official, who was not authorized to speak to the media, told Breitbart Texas that Monday's group of migrants was the largest encountered in months.
“Since December, we've seen a steady decline in large group crossings. Returning groups are starting to reach just over 100, but we've only recently seen more than 200.” “This is the first time,” the source said.
Officials say the recent increase in the number of foreign nationals of special interest in the Eagle Pass area is concerning. According to 2019 DHS Fact SheetThe term “special interest alien” is defined as follows:
Generally, SIA refers to persons outside the United States who, based on an analysis of their travel patterns, may pose a national security risk to the United States or its national interests. In many cases, such individuals or groups have adopted travel patterns that are known or assessed to be potentially associated with terrorism. DHS' analysis includes examining travel patterns, origins, and/or travel segments related to the current assessment of the domestic and international threat environment.
This does not mean that all SIAs are “terrorists,” but rather that the travel and actions of such individuals indicate a possible association with heinous activities (including terrorism). At the very least, it provides an indicator that requires enhanced testing and further investigation. The term SIA does not refer to any specific derogatory information about an individual. Additionally, DHS has never indicated that the SIA designation has any further meaning.
In addition to special interest aliens, the remaining immigrants encountered by Texas law enforcement and military officers sent under Texas Governor Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star were from a variety of countries. Some of the group could face criminal charges from state authorities for trespassing. Those who were not charged with state trespassing violations were turned over to the Border Patrol.
As reported by Breitbart, Texas, authorities recently launched a massive I encountered a group of immigrants entering Eagle Pass.
Since October, Border Patrol agents have apprehended more than 237,000 immigrants after entering the country in the Del Rio area, which includes Eagle Pass.
randy clark He is a 32-year veteran of the U.S. Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as Division Chief of Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol stations within the Del Rio, Texas area. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX
