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Mission, Texas – US Border Patrol agents encountered nearly 220 people on Monday, a sharp drop from over 1,800 on the same day last year.
As part of President Donald Trump’s radical immigration crackdown, the Coast Guard has stepped up operations along the Rio Grande.
The US Coast Guard, along with the Border Patrol, is increasing its presence and strengthening its operations with additional boats and personnel.
Trump will step up cartel surveillance efforts to strengthen border security
The US and US Coast Guard flags are on display on Coast Guard ships. (Saraareguru)
“We are strengthening our border patrol partners in major areas along the Rio Grande,” said Colonel Tory Belsau, sector commander for Corpus Christi. “Our mission is to detect, block and stop illegal migration, drug smuggling, which is actually all kinds of illegal activities.”
We are embedded with the Coast Guard and seeing operations and activities along the Rio Grande, and suspicious along the riverbanks, a common tactic used by smugglers to monitor law enforcement movements. I came across a cartel spotter.
Border state authorities notified the cartel
US Coast Guard Captain Torrie Barthor points to fragments belonging to alleged smuggling along the Rio Grande. (Sarah Allegle)
Since Trump took office last month, border crossings have dropped significantly. New data from Customs and Border Protection shows that 61,465 people were arrested at the southern border during January due to illegal crossings. This is down 36% from the previous month, with illegal intersections along the southwest border dropping to their lowest levels in decades.
Despite the decline, Bursaw emphasized that smuggling operations would continue.
“This is still a territory of threat,” he said. “The augmentation mission here is to support the local border patrols in which they need it.”
Mexican activist reporting immigration flow “slightly reduced”
The boat is filled with US Coast Guard crews supporting border patrol agents along the Rio Grande. (Saraareguru)
Beyond the river, the Coast Guard is bolstering patrols along all Texas maritime boundaries. Last week, security guards detained two individuals on a fishing boat in Port Isabel. One was illegally in the state, and the other was sought on felony weapons charges.
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“Whether or not a surge is occurring, our goal is to ensure that the integrity and sovereignty of the United States’ territory is protected,” Belsault said.
Sarah Alegre joined Fox News in 2024 as a Houston-based multimedia reporter.
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