Off-duty Border Patrol agent encounters armed smugglers while fishing with family
An off-duty Border Patrol agent encountered a group of armed smugglers while he fished with his family in Laredo, Texas, on Tuesday.
The unnamed law enforcement official was with relatives along the banks of a river near Lago del Rio when three individuals, who identified themselves as “Federales,” pointed firearms at him and his family before returning to Mexico, Customs and Border Protection announced Wednesday. Neither the agent nor his relatives were injured during the incident.
The unidentified Border Patrol agent was wearing plain clothes and did not disclose his role in law enforcement.
The trio of smugglers were carrying "small backpacks," which likely contained "hard narcotics," said Carl Landrum, deputy chief patrol agent.
LAREDO BORDER PATROL REPORTS OVER 1,000% UPTICK IN ARRESTS OF CRIMINAL MIGRANTS
(U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
“Border Security is National Security," Landrum said in a statement. "Yesterday, an off-duty Border Patrol agent and his family were fishing along the Rio Grande River. They were encountered by three armed individuals dressed in camouflage who illegally entered the United States. They were carrying small backpacks, which we presume were hard narcotics. The armed men were surprised and brandished their firearms as they returned to Mexico. Mexican authorities were notified."
Earlier in June, the Laredo sector reported an over 1,200% uptick in the arrests of criminal migrants since the start of fiscal year 2021. Seven-hundred-sixty criminal migrants have been brought into custody, compared to 60 who were arrested over the same time period in 2020.
A gang member who was residing in a stash house in South Laredo was arrested Tuesday. Fidel Alexis Lopez-Mendoza, 20, a Mexican national and a member of the Sureno Gang, previously faced charges of robbery, battery, interference with emergency communication, and theft of property.
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"These arrests continue to highlight the dangers that illegal immigration poses to our country," Border Patrol said in a statement at the time. "Dangerous criminals such as these endanger our communities by showing a lack of regard for our country’s laws. The agents of the Laredo Sector are committed to their duties of protecting the American people, safeguarding our borders, and enhancing the Nation’s economic prosperity."
President Joe Biden has faced bipartisan criticism for his handling of a surge at the southern border as conservatives fault many of his executive orders early on in the presidency for emboldening both smugglers and asylum-seekers.
Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday announced she and a team will be visiting the U.S.-Mexico Border for the first time since she assumed office on Jan. 20. Harris, who was appointed immigration czar, has been criticized for failing to make the trek earlier.
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Tags: News, Border Patrol, Texas, Crime, Drugs, Border Crisis, Border, Migrants
Original Author: Jake Dima
Original Location: Off-duty Border Patrol agent encounters armed smugglers while fishing with family
