US Border Patrol: 8 migrants die trying to cross Rio Grande
EAGLE PASS, Texas (AP) — At least eight migrants were found dead in the Rio Grande after dozens attempted a hazardous crossing near Eagle Pass, Texas, officials said Friday.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Mexican officials made the discovery Thursday while responding to a large crossing of migrants. U.S. officials recovered six bodies, while Mexican teams recovered two others, according to a CBP statement.
The agency said U.S. crews rescued 37 migrants from the river and detained 16 others, while Mexican officials took 39 migrants into custody. Officials on both sides of the border continue searching for any possible victims, the CBP said.
Days of heavy rain in the Big Bend region had resulted in swift currents in the Rio Grande.
The Border Patrol's Del Rio sector, which includes Eagle Pass, has been especially dangerous because river currents can be deceptively fast and change quickly. The area draws migrants from dozens of countries, many of them in families with young children. Crossing the river can be challenging even for strong swimmers.
In a news release last month, CPD said it had discovered bodies of more than 200 dead migrants in the Del Rio Sector from October through July. The Del Río sector extends 245 miles (395 kilometers) along the Río Grande.
Surveys by the U.N. International Organization for Migration and others point to rising fatalities as the number of crossing attempts have soared. In the last three decades, thousands have died attempting to enter the United States from Mexico, often from dehydration or drowning.
