Smuggling spike eyed in S. Texas fatal crash
A crash that killed eight suspected undocumented immigrants in Val Verde County was apparently part of an increase in smuggling activity with thousands of migrants crossing the Mexican border into the United States.
The crash on Monday follows one in early March in California that killed 13 undocumented immigrants. Smugglers are bringing more and more migrants across the Rio Grande on rafts and have been caught hauling hundreds of them in semi-trucks, making border enforcement once again a flash point in America’s political discourse.
The South Texas wreck also comes on the heels of criticism by Gov. Greg Abbott, who has blamed the Biden Administration for the surge and enlisted the Texas Department of Public Safety to help stem the flow of immigrants.
In the latest crash, troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety were pursuing a red Dodge pickup on U.S. 277, about 30 miles north of Del Rio on Monday afternoon when that truck collided head-on with a white Ford F-150 at around 1:30 p.m., DPS said.
Eight passengers from the Dodge pickup were pronounced dead at the scene, according to a DPS spokesman. One passenger was transported to a San Antonio hospital in stable condition.
The driver, Sebastian Tovar, of the Dodge pickup fled on foot after the collision but was caught shortly after, DPS said. Tovar, a 24-year-old U.S. citizen, was being held at a privately run jail in Del Rio on federal smuggling-related charges. DPS will be filing state charges with Val Verde’s state prosecutors, DPS officials said.
Homeland Security Investigations in San Antonio, whose territory includes much of Tex
as’ border with Mexico, confirmed its Del Rio office is handling the case, but limited comment so as to not compromise its investigation. Officials were working to determine the nationalities of the immigrants and notify next of kin.
A man who drove the Ford F-150 and his young daughter were taken to a San Antonio hospital in stable condition, officials said.
Also under investigation is a second vehicle that appears to have had another load of suspected undocumented immigrants on the same road, some related to the crash victims, who bailed out of their vehicle and ran off.
“I do know there was something like that, and I don’t know if it was related,” said DPS Sgt. Erick Estrada. “I don’t have much detail on that.”
The Border Patrol reported more than 100,000 encounters with migrants crossing into the U.S. from Mexico in February, illustrating the growing surge of people seeking amnesty that has quickly become a major political dilemma for the Biden administration.
The 100,441 encounters represent a 28-percent increase from January. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said about 25,000 of those immigrants had been apprehended before.
Nearly each week since the beginning of the year, the Border Patrol in south Texas has issued news releases saying agents thwarted large loads of undocumented immigrants being smuggled in tractor-trailers. In some cases, the Border Patrol has also apprehended immigrants being smuggled in regular passenger vehicles, or in pickups towing smaller trailers.
Amid the crush, the Border Patrol said it had less capacity to hold them than usual, and temporary facilities have been opened in South Texas and Dallas. In many cases, immigrants have been let go with instructions to appear later for immigration court hearings.
Conservatives have blasted the Biden administration for easing up on restrictions imposed by his predecessor, President Trump.
On March 6, Abbott announced the launch of Operation Lone Star, in which air, ground, marine, and tactical border security were added to high threat areas used by smugglers.
“The crisis at our southern border continues to escalate because of Biden administration policies that refuse to secure the border and invite illegal immigration,” Abbott said then in a statement.
Even some Democrats in Texas have warned Biden about problems with easing up on restrictions because of the potential of overloading services in border communities the Democrats represent.
In late February, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-laredo, warned the Biden administration against easing up too much on undocumented immigrants, citing their impact on his constituents, local hospitals and their potential to spread the coronavirus.
“You just can’t say, ‘Yeah, yeah, let everybody in’ — because then we’re affected down there at the border,” Cuellar said.
Amid a cold blast that crippled much of Texas in February, Del Rio mayor Bruno Lozano, a Democrat,
posted a video on Youtube urging that migrants awaiting court dates not be released in Del Rio. Lozano warned that if it happened, he might have to use emergency declaration powers in order to refuse entry to the migrants into his city.
“I am pleading and requesting with you to please put a halt to any measures regarding the release of immigrants awaiting court dates into the city of Del Rio and surrounding areas,” Lozano said. “We do not have the resources available to house and accommodate these migrants within our community.”
Jerry Robinette, who served as special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in San Antonio under the administrations of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, said the rising numbers could lead to more crashes as smugglers try to avoid being caught.
Many of the drivers and smugglers are often young, even juveniles, Robinette noted.
“These people are not skilled drivers, they’re driving at a high rate of speed, and the vehicles are overloaded,” Robinette said. “You add to that the adrenaline or fear they have of being caught, they’re not familiar with the terrain and obviously nothing good is going to come out of that.”
Robinette said the issue is thorny no matter which side of the political aisle one is on, and it often ends up with border enforcers taking heat for decisions made in Washington, D.C. He recalled how his agents faced sharp criticism as critics called for the abolishment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Homeland Security Investigations is that agency’s investigative arm.
“At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or Republican, they’re going to be all over us,” Robinette said. “To those who, unfortunately, have to deal with enforcement and border security it’s just a roller coaster.”
“Now there’s a new sheriff in town, and they have to deal with immigration enforcement,” Robinette said. “As you can see, it’s not that easy.”