Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers apprehended a suspected human smuggler in the Rio Grande River on Tuesday. The individual, identified as Jose Delgado-Zuniga, a Mexican national, was observed guiding groups of undocumented migrants from Mexico into Eagle Pass, Texas.
DPS drone operators initially spotted Delgado-Zuniga and alerted the Tactical Marine Unit. The unit responded and intercepted the suspect in the river. Footage captured by the drone shows Delgado-Zuniga attempting to evade capture before being apprehended by officers on an airboat.
Delgado-Zuniga is facing state criminal charges for human smuggling. This incident occurs amidst Governor Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star, a border security initiative launched in 2021 to address drug and migrant crossings. As of late May, Operation Lone Star has resulted in over 28,560 criminal arrests, including over 6,800 for trespassing, and the seizure of over 417 million lethal doses of fentanyl.
While migrant apprehensions have decreased since the peak before the end of Title 42 in May, officials remain cautious about future trends.
