Texas Border Business
EDINBURG, Texas – Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector (RGV) agents made 549,077 migrant encounters in Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21), accounting for 33% of all Border Patrol apprehensions nationwide. That astounding number is higher than the USBP total number of encounters for the previous two years combined.
In FY21, 257,343 migrants classified as family members were encountered and agents averaged more than 1,500 migrant apprehensions each day. During this all-time peak, close to 50% of frontline agents were assigned and diverted to processing duties and to the care of migrants in USBP custody.
RGV Sector encountered 76,284 Noncitizen Unaccompanied Children (NUCs). NUCs are regularly encountered frightened, malnourished, without a distant family member or someone to properly care for them. Many of these children will present themselves with a name and phone number of a contact in the U.S. written on a belt, shoes, or a small, crumbled note. In some instances, the processing of these children was further complicated by the child’s inability to properly communicate or provide contact information for family members. Agents also encountered several children abandoned on their journey into the United States, like a Nicaraguan child who was found on April 7, 2021, walking alone on a dirt road in La Grulla, Texas, after smugglers continued northbound while the child was sleeping and therefore was left behind.
Migrants classified as single adults rounded out the remaining apprehension numbers for FY21, accounting for 257,343 apprehensions. More than 7,600 migrants were encountered in 448 stash houses discovered by agents and local law enforcement agencies. Among the single adult population were also 1,973 criminal aliens, 163 gang members, and 187 sex offenders.
Even with historic highs in migrant apprehensions, RGV agents still managed to lead the nation in narcotics seizures. Rio Grande Valley Sector seized over 77,000 pounds of narcotics which accounted for more than 43% of Border Patrol’s total narcotics seizures across the nation.
“Our agents play a critical role in border security and keeping dangerous drugs and criminals off our streets. I am extremely proud of our workforce for their dedication and of the collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners in south Texas who support our frontline agents and our mission. When it comes to border security, our men and women in uniform perform their duties to their highest standards”, says Chief Patrol Agent Brian Hastings.
The public is encouraged to take a stand against crime in their communities and report suspicious activity at 800-863-9382.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation’s borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
