Border Patrol in South Texas Keep Busy With Rescue, Arrests

Edinburg, Texas - Border Patrol agents from the Rio Grande Valley, Texas area rescued a man who was attempting to swim to Mexico, detained a man who wanted on a robbery charge and arrested a member of a notorious gang.

The man was rescued early Monday morning after he attempted to avoid capture by swimming across the Rio Grande to Mexico. About midway across the river, the man began to struggle and requested assistance. Border Patrol agents from McAllen, Texas, who were patrolling the river by boat, threw him a flotation device. The device helped the man stay afloat and make a safe return to Mexico.

Later that evening a man was detained at the Falfurrias, Texas checkpoint after agents discovered he had an active warrant on a robbery charge out of Austin, Texas. A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper, who was present at the checkpoint, confirmed the warrant and took custody of the man.

Additionally, agents assigned to the Fort Brown station arrested a Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang member Sunday evening in Brownsville, Texas, when they encountered him walking north from the river.

After the man was advised of his rights, he admitted he had illegally entered the United States and that he was a citizen of El Salvador. The man also admitted to having ties to the MS-13, a notorious gang of Salvadorian descent that is based out of Los Angeles.

Upon performing a records check, agents discovered the man had an extensive history of prior arrests on a variety of charges.

At this time he is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.