Tragic border hero
Body of Rio Grande Texas guard found
The body of missing Texas National Guardsman Bishop E. Evans was found Monday morning, three days after he dove into the Rio Grande on the Texas-Mexico border to save two migrants attempting to cross the treacherous waters and enter the US illegally.
The body of the 22-year-old from Arlington, Texas, was found and identified by local authorities, the Texas Military Department revealed.
“We are devastated by the loss of a member of our Guard family,” Maj Gen Tom Suelzer, Adjutant General for Texas, said in a statement. “We recognize the selflessness of this heroic Soldier who put his life above others in service to our state and national security. The Texas Military Department sends our deepest condolences to the family.”
The Texas Military Department said the two migrants involved were crossing the river into the US “illegally” and were part of “illicit transnational narcotics trafficking.” They remained in custody as of Saturday.
Evans is believed to have drowned, swept away by the dangerous currents of the Rio Grande as he tried to save the migrants who appeared to be drowning.
Rep. Tony Gonzalez (R-Texas) first revealed the news of Evans’ death on Twitter.
“This young soldier made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of protecting and serving our country,” Gonzalez wrote. “He will never be forgotten.”
Hours after the confirmation, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters “our heart goes out to his family and loved ones.”
When pressed on whether the White House feels “responsible” for Evans’ death given the historic surge of illegal immigration under Biden, Psaki deflected, saying, “There needs to be more done to invest in smarter security to have a more effective asylum processing system. And we would welcome any efforts for any elected officials to work with us on that.”
Evans, who had been a guard member since 2019, was first identified as the missing man by the Texas Military Department on Sunday. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott posted a photo of him on Twitter.
On Monday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he was “heartbroken” by the news of Evans’ death.
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann blamed Evans’ death on “open border policies.”
“This is the consequence of open border policies,” the Tennessee Republican posted. “Open borders create dangerous situations that cost human lives. My deepest prayers, sympathies, and thoughts are with this hero and his family.”