DEL RIO, Texas (NewsNation Now) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection is grappling with an influx of migrants crossing the U.S. border, many victims of human smuggling. Officials say it’s the most activity they’ve seen in years.
“It’s a never-ending process,” said Lt. Donny Kindred with the Texas Department of Public Safety. “It’s a cat and mouse game. They try to get away and we catch them.”
Kindred has been flying for the Texas Department of Public for eight years and says he’s never seen the Del Rio sector with so much migrant activity. More than 300,000 people are victims of some sort of human trafficking each year in the state of Texas, according to research by the University of Texas at Austin.
Border correspondent Robert Sherman had a firsthand look at smuggling at the southern bother this week. On Monday, he witnessed a human smuggling bust that led to nine migrant apprehensions. Despite the apprehensions, the driver was still able to get away.
Despite border patrol efforts, migrants still get away. Agents say the risk of smuggling is a profitable one.
“It’s very profitable to take part because human smugglers are getting paid thousands to smuggle people,” Border Patrol Special Operations Supervisor Christian Alvarez said.
Between land and air, many resources are being used to secure the border but officials say it never seems to be quite enough because “Texas is so huge.”