US Border Patrol RGV Sector

Today, Rio Grande Valley Sector welcomed DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott, Border Patrol Chief Rosario “Pete” Vasquez, Maj. Gen. Curtis D. Taylor, and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, Aaron Reitz.

The visit highlighted the close work between the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of War, and our federal, state, and local partners to secure the border. We’re combining new technology and AI tools with proven methods—wall construction, buoy barriers, autonomous towers, horse and ATV patrols, and riverine units—to build a strong, layered defense.

(Of note: the horses still refuse to take orders from the AI generated detections and the riverine crews insist they have better instincts than the algorithms, but we’re all learning to play together nicely.)

Border Patrol stays one step ahead of criminal smugglers.

At the Falfurrias Checkpoint, a Border Patrol K-9 alerted to a livestock trailer, leading agents to discover eight illegal aliens hidden behind bales of hay in a locked loft. Another dangerous smuggling attempt stopped, another reminder that Border Patrol remains vigilant in protecting lives and securing our borders.

Dangerous criminal aliens have no place in our country. Weslaco Border Patrol agents apprehended seven illegal aliens near La Coma Gap, including a Paisas gang associate, a criminal organization known for violence and transnational criminal activity. The subject was criminally prosecuted for illegal reentry and removed from the United States. Our message is clear: Enter our country illegally, and we’ll find you, prosecute you, and remove you. That’s how we protect America.

Border Patrol Agents at the Falfurrias Border Patrol Checkpoint intercepted a human smuggling attempt, rescuing nine illegal aliens, including a juvenile, found sealed inside wooden crates after a Border Patrol K9 alerted to the freight.

With little to no ventilation and extreme summer heat, these individuals were placed in life-threatening conditions. Smuggling organizations show complete disregard for human life, endangering men, women, and children for profit. Their actions are criminal and inhumane, exploiting vulnerable people and putting lives at risk.

This rescue is a stark reminder: human smuggling is not just a crime, it is a direct threat to the safety and wellbeing of those targeted by these organizations.

Criminal smugglers never stop trying to bring harm to our country, and we won't stop protecting it.

Border Patrol Agents, working alongside our law enforcement partners, seized a vehicle carrying four bundles of narcotics near Chapeno, Texas. This seizure disrupted another smuggling attempt, keeping dangerous narcotics off our streets and out of our communities.