Texas: 8 Migrants Found Dead, 55 Apprehended Trying to Cross Rio Grande
Eight lifeless bodies of migrants were found in the Rio Grande in Texas on Thursday after the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) responded to what only seemed to be a large group of people crossing the river near Eagle Pass.
Migrants crossing the river in the Rio Grande apparently happens very likely, as reports of deaths in the area rose to 200 in the past months.
The latest tragic incident happened a few days after Texas Governor Greg Abbott's migrant busing program was put under the microscope for its excessive spending on transportation expenses.
Migrants Found Dead in Rio Grande River in Texas
According to Associated Press, U.S. agents found six bodies in the Rio Grande River in Texas after responding to reports of people crossing the river following days of heavy rains, which had resulted in particularly swift currents.
On the other hand, Mexican teams recovered two others. The CBP said U.S. crews rescued 37 others from the river and detained 16 more, while Mexican officials took 39 migrants into custody.
The agency did not mention the race or what countries the migrants were from. No additional information on the rescue or search was also provided.
The CBP said agents in the Del Rio sector in Texas had recovered more than 200 bodies of migrants from October through July. The Del Rio sector, which includes Eagle Pass, is reportedly becoming the busiest corridor for migrant crossings.
The sector, which extends some 395 kilometers along the Rio Grande, has been dangerous due to river currents that can be fast and change quickly.
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's Migrant Busing Program
The situation on the Texas-Mexico border has grown exponentially complicated in the past few months.
Governor Greg Abbott started sending migrants to Democrat-led East coast cities to provide the state with the "much-needed relief" to their overwhelmed border communities.
Earlier this week, Abbott sent the first batch of migrants to Chicago, the newest city receiving migrants from Texas. New York City and Washington D.C. were also among the common drop-offs of Abbott's migrant busing program.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has publicly condemned the "inhumane" move of the Republican governor. On Friday, several New York City officials visited the border amid Abbott's office's continued stonewalling of the information about the program.
According to The Texas Tribune, the governor's office had already spent more than $12 million on the highly-controversial program. The more than $12 million transportation cost came from the state budget, as private donations only raised around $160,000 last April.
READ MORE: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Migrant Busing Program: Here's How Much It Has Cost the State
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Ivan Korrs
WATCH: Record Number of Migrants Apprehended at U.S.-Mexico Border This Year - From CBS News
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