9 migrants found dead after they tried to cross Rio Grande during heavy rains
EAGLE PASS, TEXAS: Following scores of dangerous attempts to cross the Rio Grande close to Eagle Pass, Texas, authorities reported on Saturday, September 3 that at least nine migrants had been discovered dead. During days of intense rain that had caused exceptionally rapid currents, US Customs, Border Protection and Mexican authorities made the discovery on Thursday, September 1 while reacting to a sizable group of migrants crossing the river.
According to CBP, American authorities found six bodies while Mexican troops found three more. The agency said that Mexican authorities apprehended 39 migrants while American personnel pulled out and detained 16 more from the river. The CBP addressed that officials are still looking for any potential casualties on both sides of the border as spokeswoman Cecilia Barreda, confirmed that the agency found the ninth body on Friday, September 2.
RELATED ARTICLES
As Biden administration dithers over migrant 'crisis' Mexico deploys 9,000 troops to stop people reaching US border
The National Weather Service reports that the river, which was a little over 3 feet (90 centimeters) deep at the beginning of the week, rose to more than 5 feet (1.5 meters) on Thursday and was running five times faster than typical. The CBP agency informed that although Mexican authorities captured 39 migrants, American personnel saved 37 more from the river and intercepted 16. The migrants' country or countries of origin were not disclosed and no more details on search and rescue efforts were given.
Although, a man and a pregnant lady were among the victims rescued from the river by Mexican officials, their nationalities were unclear, according to Francisco Contreras, a member of Civil Protection in the Mexican border state of Coahuila, as reported by ABC News. Regarding the third corpse discovered, no information was made public. CBP stated in a press release from last month that it found the corpses of more than 200 dead migrants in the area between October and July. An increasing number of fatalities are being observed in surveys by the UN International Organization for Migration and other organizations as thousands of people have perished in the past 30 years trying to reach the United States from Mexico, mostly from exhaustion or drowning.
Eagle Pass is part of the Del Rio sector of the Border Patrol, which is quickly developing into the busiest route for unauthorized crossings. In the sector, immigration officers detained immigrants about 50,000 times in July, with Rio Grande Valley coming in second with around 35,000 stops. About 140 miles (225 kilometers) southwest of San Antonio is Eagle Pass.