Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol's security measures: Migrants pay cartel to cross

MCALLEN, Texas - Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley sector are facing new challenges as they work to secure the southern border. Once the busiest sector for migrant apprehensions, the area has seen a significant decrease in activity.

FOX 26 joined agents for an early morning ride-along, beginning at 5 a.m. The sector, which historically led in apprehensions, now ranks fifth.

WANT TO READ MORE?: Border Watch with Jonathan Mejia takes on Rio Grande Valley border sector

"I would say it’s picked up a little bit. Historically, the Rio Grande Valley sector has been number one in apprehensions, including in those apprehensions what we see a lot of is a lot of family units. What is a family unit? Migrants that consistent of mothers, fathers, and children," Christina Smallword, a Border Patrol agent, said. "Or just mother and children or father and children. We also see a lot of unaccompanied minors and juveniles, but currently we’re number five, so there’s been a decrease."

Throughout the ride-along, agents remained vigilant, monitoring radio communications but encountering no apprehensions. Smallwood explained the role of cartels in organizing border crossings.

"There’s different trends at different times. We have to remember that nobody crosses this border. Nobody crosses the Rio Grande without paying. Who do they pay? The cartel. It’s a business they see migrants as a dollar sign," Smallwood said. "So all the crossings, all immigration, referring to that are cartel base and cartel organized. They are the ones who decide where these migrants will be crossing, their crossing points. Nobody crosses the Rio Grande without paying the cartel. It’s a business, and they see migrants as a dollar sign."

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, there have been over 56,500 encounters this fiscal year, with just over 5,000 from the Rio Grande Valley—a significant 84% decrease from the previous year’s 32,000 encounters.

The patrol included a riverine crew, where agents often find scouts on the Mexican riverbank using drones to track U.S. patrol movements.

"You’ll see they have some scouts set up on the Mexican riverbank. Often they’ll either drop off people or they’ll use drones, and it’s more like a checking system. They’ll count how many vessels are out on the water, and they know more or less how much it takes our boats from point A to point B. So they’ll throw traffic either ahead of us or right after we have just passed a certain area, but it’s a very sophisticated network," Aubrilinda Martinez, a Border Patrol Agent with the riverine crew, said.

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The morning took an unexpected turn when agents were alerted to a group that had illegally crossed and dispersed. They focused on one individual believed to be a guide attempting to return to Mexico, as scouts on the Mexican riverbank monitored the situation closely.

Border Watch with Jonathan Mejia is a weekly newsletter that focuses on border security and immigration.