Texas DPS announces discovery of dead migrant who attempted to cross Rio Grande

The Texas Department of Public Safety said an illegal immigrant was found dead on Saturday after attempting to cross the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass.

The department’s Tactical Marine Unit recovered an unidentified deceased man from a shallow portion of the river south of Shelby Park at about 2:30 p.m., Texas DPS spokesperson Lt. Chris Olivarez wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

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

There have been roughly 2,300 illegal immigrant deaths in the last three years from drownings, heat exhaustion, vehicle accidents or hazardous conditions attributed to human smuggling and harsh environmental conditions, according to Olivarez.

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Texas is using every preventive measure to deter illegal border crossings, Olivarez said. He said this type of preventative action “requires a federal response to apply consequences & enact current laws to prevent anyone from crossing the river.”

This comes after three migrants – a woman and two children – drowned just over a week ago in the Rio Grande. Federal officials and U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, initially claimed the state was responsible for the deaths of the three migrants following accusations that the Texas Military Department had denied Border Patrol access to Shelby Park to help six migrants in distress.

But an investigation by the Texas Military Department determined the accusations were “wholly inaccurate” and that the drownings had already happened by the time 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.

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The Texas Military Department said its soldiers were in direct communication with Border Patrol on Jan. 12 when it requested access to Shelby Park upon learning of distressed migrants. Soldiers said they told Border Patrol when it requested access that Mexican authorities had already recovered the bodies of two drowned migrants.

Border Patrol specifically requested access to the park to secure two additional migrants who were presumed to have traveled with the ones who had died, but had crossed to the boat ramp, the press release said. Two migrants were apprehended by the Texas Military Department, with one turned over to the Department of Public Safety and the other transferred to EMS for initial hypothermic conditions.

The soldiers then continued to use lights, night vision goggles and thermals to ensure no more migrants were in the river or in distress, according to the press release.