Texas DPS Announces Discovery Of Dead Migrant Who Attempted To Cross Rio Grande

On Saturday, Jan 19 the Texas Department of Public Safety reported the discovery of a deceased illegal immigrant who had attempted to cross the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass. 

The Tactical Marine Unit of the department retrieved an unidentified deceased man from a shallow part of the river south of Shelby Park around 2:30 p.m., as stated by Texas DPS spokesperson Lt. Chris Olivarez on X (formerly known as Twitter).

“Another tragedy from crossing the dangerous Rio Grande in Eagle Pass,” wrote Olivarez.

Lt. Chris Olivarez noted approximately 2,300 illegal immigrant deaths in the past three years, attributed to drownings, heat exhaustion, vehicle accidents and hazardous conditions related to human smuggling and harsh environmental conditions.

Olivarez emphasised that Texas is employing all possible preventive measures to discourage illegal border crossings. 

Olivarez stressed that effective prevention necessitates a federal response, urging the application of consequences and enforcement of existing laws to deter individuals from crossing the river. 

This statement follows the tragic drowning of three migrants a woman and two children, just over a week ago in the Rio Grande. 

Initially, federal officials and U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, had blamed the state for the deaths, citing accusations that the Texas Military Department had denied Border Patrol access to Shelby Park to assist six distressed migrants.

An inquiry by the Texas Military Department found the accusations "wholly inaccurate," clarifying that the drownings had occurred before Border Patrol requested access to the area.

“At the time that Border Patrol requested access, the drownings had occurred, Mexican Authorities were recovering the bodies and Border Patrol expressed these facts to the TMD personnel on site,” the TMD said in a news release last week.

The Texas Military Department stated that its soldiers were in direct contact with Border Patrol on Jan. 12 when it sought access to Shelby Park upon learning of distressed migrants. Soldiers informed Border Patrol that Mexican authorities had already recovered the bodies of two drowned migrants. Border Patrol specifically requested access to secure two additional migrants presumed to have been with the deceased ones but had crossed to the boat ramp. 

Two migrants were apprehended, one handed to the Department of Public Safety and the other to EMS for hypothermic conditions. The soldiers continued surveillance to ensure no more migrants were in the river or in distress, using lights, night vision goggles and thermals.