Speeches and Statements

On August 2, 2022, at approximately 5:53 a.m., Border Patrol Agents received a report of multiple groups of suspected undocumented migrants in an area known as Avocado Landing, located east of El Faro Road near Los Ebanos, Texas. Three agents responded to the area and conducted a foot search around 5:57 a.m.

On August 3, 2022, at approximately 3:29 p.m., a remote video surveillance system operator spotted a group of migrants crossing the primary International Border Barrier near the San Ysidro, Calif., Port of Entry.
 

Updated Statement:

On July 28, 2022, at approximately 1:09 p.m., a Cochise County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle with a temporary license plate on Davis Road near mile marker 18 between the towns of Tombstone and McNeal, Ariz.; the vehicle failed to yield. The sheriff’s deputy stopped the pursuit due to the driver’s erratic driving and issued a be-on-the-lookout bulletin for the vehicle to county-wide law enforcement agencies.

On July 9 at approximately 4:07 a.m., a Border Patrol agent operating a surveillance camera system notified the local Border Patrol sector that a group of migrants was making illegal entry into the U.S., approximately one-half mile southeast of the Rio Grande Port of Entry near Rio Grande City, Texas, where the Los Olmos Creek flows into the Rio Grande River.

On July 22, 2022, Border Patrol agents assigned to the All-Terrain Vehicle Unit from the Deming, New Mexico Border Patrol Station were following foot tracks in a secluded area in the Deming station’s area of responsibility. One of the agents observed an individual walking towards him, who informed the agent that a migrant from his group needed help and proceeded to guide the agent to an area near Inmon Road and Brazil Road, approximately 16 miles northeast of the Columbus Port of Entry where the man was located. 

On June 30, at approximately 8:28 a.m., a Jeep Wrangler circumvented the United States Border Patrol checkpoint, located at mile marker 29 of Interstate Highway 35, using the west access road of IH-35. A Border Patrol agent parked on the west access road between mile markers 30 and 31 heard a report of the Jeep Wrangler via radio and within a few minutes, the vehicle passed the Border Patrol agent’s location. The agent observed a male driver, who appeared to be the vehicle’s sole occupant. The agent, operating a marked U.S.

On June 8, a Border Patrol agent assigned to the El Paso U.S. Border Patrol Station was working line watch duties when he observed four suspected migrants running north from the Rio Grande River towards the International Border Barrier, approximately one and a quarter miles east of the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso, Texas. The International Border Barrier is situated between the U.S./Mexico international border and the American Canal. The Border Patrol agent drove his U.S.

On June 17, at approximately 1:48 a.m., a Mobile Video Surveillance System operator observed two individuals at the International Border Barrier near Sunland Park, N.M. One of the individuals was lying on the ground on the north side of the barrier, approximately six and a half miles east of the Santa Teresa Port of Entry. The operator broadcasted the information via radio communications to Border Patrol agents near the location.

On June 18, 2022, Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol and other law enforcement entities were involved in a vehicle pursuit on Highway 281 near Falfurrias, Texas which later resulted in a use of force incident. One person is dead. Texas Department of Public Safety is leading the investigation and the incident is being reviewed by Custom and Border Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility. More information will be shared as it becomes available.

On May 6, at approximately 4:35 a.m., a Remote Video Surveillance System operator spotted a group of migrants climbing the primary and secondary International Border Barriers approximately a quarter mile west of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. The Remote Video Surveillance System operator broadcasted the group’s location via radio to Border Patrol agents in the area. A Supervisory Border Patrol agent and several Border Patrol agents responded. Due to the night sky and foggy weather, visibility was limited.

Migrant Smuggling Attempt Results in Death

At approximately 11 p.m. on June 3, 2022, Border Patrol agents assigned to the Cotulla Border Patrol Station received a call for assistance from the La Salle County Sheriff’s Office regarding a tractor trailer that was parked on the east access road at the 56-mile marker on I-35. Border Patrol agents arrived on the scene to assist La Salle County deputies who had encountered over 20 individuals absconding into the nearby brush and others in need of medical attention. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations assisted with the search of the area.

On June 3, 2022, a Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer from the Laredo Port of Entry was arrested by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility on the charge of theft of U.S. government property (i.e., money).

CBP’s OPR conducted the investigation, and the case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas. 

On May 24, 2022, at approximately 12:43 a.m., a U.S. Border Patrol agent working near Pan-American Avenue and 5th Street in Douglas, Arizona, was involved in a use of force incident which resulted in the death of an individual in Border Patrol custody.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus issued the following statement today following the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas:

On March 27, 2022, an Army National Guard soldier assigned to the U.S. Border Patrol Station in Clint, Texas, was notified by a local citizen that an injured individual was lying on the ground on the north side of the International Boundary Barrier, approximately nine-and-a-half miles northwest of the Tornillo Port of Entry. The soldier broadcasted the information via radio communications to a Border Patrol agent near the location.  

MIAMI – At approximately 6 a.m. on May 2, 2022, the Carnival Conquest cruise ship arrived at the Miami Seaport in Florida. A female U.S. citizen passenger debarked from the ship at approximately 8:26 a.m. and was transiting through the cruise ship terminal towards the Passport Control primary area when she collapsed to the ground after stepping off an escalator and entering a passenger processing queue.

CAMPO, Calif. - On the morning of Friday, May 13, a U.S. Border Patrol agent died in the line of duty in California.

On May 2, 2022, a Del Rio Sector Border Patrol Agent was arrested by the Texas Rangers on a warrant stemming from an indictment on a charge of Official Oppression in connection with the alleged assault and mistreatment of a juvenile in custody. The  investigation is being led by the Texas Rangers and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility.

On April 15, 2022, at approximately 4:11 a.m., a Border Patrol agent assigned to the primary inspection booth at the Las Cruces, N.M. Border Patrol checkpoint observed a vehicle approach the checkpoint, located at mile marker 120.5 on Interstate 10 west near Las Cruces, N.M. The agent observed the suspect vehicle pull off the road and park near the license plate readers, approximately five hundred feet from the checkpoint’s primary inspection booth. The agent notified two other agents inside the inspection building of the suspect vehicle via the checkpoint’s intercom system.

On April 13, 2022, at approximately 9:01 a.m., a vehicle circumvented the Laredo North Border Patrol checkpoint. A Border Patrol agent observed the vehicle driving northbound on the west access road and the agent drove behind the vehicle in an attempt to conduct a record query on the license plate. The driver of the vehicle accelerated and merged northbound. The agent activated his USBP vehicle’s overhead lights and sirens to conduct a traffic stop but the driver of the Honda vehicle failed to yield and a vehicle pursuit ensued.

On April 15, 2022, at approximately 7:46 p.m., a Border Patrol agent was parked in the median of Highway 281 north of San Manuel, Texas, when he observed a white pickup truck suspected of human smuggling. The agent followed the truck while requesting records checks. At approximately 7:47 p.m., the agent activated the vehicle’s overhead emergency lights and siren. The driver of the truck failed to yield and a vehicle pursuit ensued.

Washington - U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus issued the following statement today regarding the transportation of migrants to Washington, D.C.:

"The men and women of U.S. Customs and Border Protection work tirelessly to secure and manage the nation’s borders, prioritizing the fair and humane treatment of every person we encounter. CBP follows the law to conduct that mission. 

On April 1, 2022, a mobile video surveillance system operator notified Border Patrol agents that several undocumented migrants were climbing the International Border Barrier near Clint, Texas, approximately 12 miles west of the Tornillo Port of Entry. A certified Emergency Medical Technician responded and located two men who sustained injuries from apparent falls from the International Border Barrier. One of the men, a citizen of Mexico, was unconscious. The EMT immediately requested Emergency Medical Services, then rendered aid to the man.