Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol troopers interdicted a large group of migrants shortly after they waded across the shallow Rio Grande north of Eagle Pass on Wednesday. In all, 124 migrants from a host of different countries were arrested by the troopers in a surprising twist to the election-year slowdown along the Texas border.
Some in the group will face criminal prosecution by state authorities for trespassing violations. According to a source within CBP, the others will likely be released to pursue asylum claims.
The large migrant group crossed the Rio Grande late in the afternoon near the small community of Normandy, Texas, roughly 16 miles north of Eagle Pass. As reported by Breitbart, Texas, the area was once notorious for the frequency of large migrant crossings but has since slowed after increased election-year enforcement efforts in Mexico significantly slowed the flow of migrants arriving at the United States border.
According to a spokesperson for the Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol, one migrant within the group was an adult female Iranian national. The Iranian woman, Masoumeh Fooladlou, was referred to the department’s intelligence specialists for further vetting as she falls within the category of Special Interest Migrant under DHS standards.
