U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Eagle Pass Station have arrested another group of 34 people from Africa. Del Rio Sector has seen a dramatic rise in the number of arrests of illegal immigrants from African countries over the past week.
“The introduction of this new population places additional burdens on processing stations, to include language and cultural differences,” said Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Raul L. Ortiz. “Our agents continue to meet each new challenge as the ongoing humanitarian crisis evolves.”
On June 5, agents assigned to the Eagle Pass Station arrested a group of 34 people from the continent of Africa. Since May 30, more than 500 people from the continent of Africa have been arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol in Del Rio Sector. Agents have encountered immigrants from Africa crossing the Rio Grande River in multiple separate events, including one group of over 100 individuals. These groups are primarily made up of family units from the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola.
Del Rio Sector’s total apprehensions to date this year are in excess of 33,000, already more than double the total number of arrests made during the previous fiscal year. More than 27,000 of the individuals arrested this year, over 80 percent, are from approximately 38 countries other than Mexico.
All immigrants arrested are medically evaluated and are referred to medical professionals for more advanced care if needed.
