9 migrants drown trying to cross Rio Grande river between US and Mexico

At least nine migrants have drowned trying to cross the Rio Grande. It separates Mexico from the United States and its condition has grown in recent weeks after heavy rains, a spokesperson for the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told EFE.

The speaker said, Drowned on Thursday morning After a large group tried to cross the Rio Grande, which thousands of migrants use every year to reach the United States and is known for its dangerous currents, it has become even more dangerous these days after heavy rains.

US border agents recovered six of the eight bodies, and Mexican authorities recovered two of the dead.

Also, US authorities rescued 37 migrants from the river.

Those 37 and 16 more migrants were detained for trying to enter the U.S. irregularly, and authorities arrested 39 others in the group on the Mexican side of the border, the spokesman said in a statement. Sent to EFE.

US officials did not provide information on the migrants’ nationalities or their ages.

According to the spokesman, the migrants were trying to reach the United States through the Rio Grande region near the city of Eagle Pass (Texas) in what CBP calls “Del Rio.” That means it has become one of the points with the highest number of crossings per year.

In July alone, Border Patrol agents made 50,000 arrests in the “Del Rio” division, more than any other area along the U.S.-Mexico border, CBP data shows on its website.

So far this fiscal year, in the period ending at the end of September, more than 376,100 immigrants have been detained in the area, nearly ten times more than in 2020.

The data shows that about half of all detained immigrants and refugees come from Cuba and Venezuela. Indeed, in July, more than 14,000 Venezuelans and 10,000 Cubans were detained in the area.