Del Rio Sector Border Patrol agents arrested a criminal alien during a routine train check approximately 50 miles inland from the Texas-Mexico border. The man, whose identity has not been disclosed, has a violent criminal history, including a 2012 murder conviction in North Carolina.
Uvalde Station agents discovered the individual hiding on a train during an inspection. After taking him into custody, authorities confirmed that he had previously been deported and was attempting to re-enter the country illegally.
The man has been referred to the Department of Justice for prosecution under 8 USC 1326, which penalizes illegal re-entry after removal as a convicted felon. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in federal prison.
Border Patrol officials also reiterated the Trump administration’s warning that the border is closed to illegal crossers. In a separate incident, Comstock Station agents apprehended a Polish migrant who illegally crossed the border. He is also being referred for prosecution under 8 USC 1325.
Earlier this week, police in Eagle Pass, Texas, arrested two men shortly after they illegally crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico using specialized Scuba equipment to evade detection. The men, both Guatemalan nationals, were wearing full-length Scuba-style wetsuits and carrying individual water propulsion devices, police said in a Facebook post.
The apprehension occurred after an observant Eagle Pass resident alerted authorities to suspicious individuals in a local neighborhood. Officers quickly responded and located the men attempting to hide under a bridge.
Officials believe the wetsuits and propulsion devices were used to navigate the dangerous waters of the Rio Grande undetected. The migrants were handed over to U.S. Border Patrol for removal proceedings.
This incident comes amid growing concerns over sophisticated smuggling tactics along the southern border. Just last week, Border Patrol agents in the Del Rio Sector seized a drone being used by cartel-linked scouts to identify safe smuggling routes. Acting Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Desi DeLeon confirmed on X that agents, working alongside Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and the Mexican government, tracked and confiscated the device.
