Drop in Border Patrol Got-Aways
A source within U.S. Customs and Border Protection has noted a significant decline in the daily average of known got-aways. During the first two weeks of September, this figure fell to under 40 per day—an incredible 98.5 percent reduction compared to the more than 2,000 daily highs seen during the Biden Border Crisis in 2023.
A report reviewed by Breitbart Texas highlighted that, over a two-week span in early September, the agency documented fewer than 550 known got-aways. In a report from April 2023, more than 400,000 illegal aliens were reported to have evaded apprehension in the first half of that fiscal year, averaging over 2,200 got-aways daily.
The Border Patrol counts got-aways by tracking sightings of illegal aliens who were not captured. These sightings can come from various sources—agents on patrol, images from stationary cameras, aerial surveillance, or reports from individuals who see the intrusions. The Border Patrol employs techniques like sign-cutting, which involves looking for disturbed ground as evidence of human crossings, to identify these got-aways when necessary.
The recent drop in both border crossings and known got-aways has noticeably altered the environment at previously busy border points during the Biden administration’s crisis. Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe mentioned in an interview that his deputies frequently dealt with illegal alien smuggling on rural roads, but the situation has shifted significantly.
“There have only been two smuggling cases on our roadways since January. It’s an unbelievable change, and we’re really pleased with it,” Coe remarked, indicating improvements in local ranches as well, with fewer reports of illegal crossings on private land.
Previously, Coe’s deputies found themselves in high-speed chases, occasionally leading to tragic outcomes, including a crash that claimed the lives of four illegal aliens in December 2022, near Brackettville.
Eagle Pass, Texas, a border town that became a hotspot of the border crisis, has also seen significant changes. Beto Garza, the Assistant Chief of Police in the city, shared that conditions have improved markedly since illegal border crossings dropped during Trump’s second term. Although officers are still active in supporting Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, encounters with illegal aliens have decreased to just a few.
Garza attributed this positive change to the heavy presence of law enforcement in the area. “Everywhere you look, there are law enforcement officers on patrol,” he observed, highlighting the increased patrols by both Border Patrol and Department of Public Safety personnel.
Beyond Texas, changes are also occurring in other border regions. For instance, in Douglas, Arizona, a CBP source noted that agents are now only spotting small groups of illegal aliens, where once there were frequently over 100 crossing the desert.
The source explained that smugglers have altered their strategies, citing a recent attempt to cut a lock on a floodgate to drive vehicles loaded with illegal aliens into the U.S. All of these attempted entries were thwarted by Border Patrol and local law enforcement, who turned the vehicles back to Mexico.
This shift suggests a level of desperation among human traffickers, as stringent border security measures put in place during the Trump administration have made crossings increasingly challenging. According to the Department of Homeland Security, there haven’t been any illegal aliens released to claim asylum at the southwestern border in the last 16 months.
Individuals attempting to enter the U.S. illegally are now finding that Border Patrol is more equipped to secure ports of entry. In late June, CBP announced a historic milestone, with 21,271 agents now active at the nation’s borders.
