SUNLAND PARK, New Mexico (Border Report) – Fifty-five migrants have lost their lives since Oct. 1 in El Paso and Southern New Mexico, including some who got lost in the desert and perished of heat-related illnesses.

The U.S. Border Patrol wants to prevent further deaths amid 12 consecutive days of triple-digit heat in the region. That’s why they are putting videos in English and Spanish on the internet and airing public service outreach on television to warn migrants of the danger posed by the heat.

“We want the migrants to be aware of what is going on and not become another statistic,” said Fidel Baca, a Border Patrol spokesman in El Paso. “We don’t want them to attempt to enter the U.S. illegally by putting their lives at risk, particularly in this extreme heat. We have already rescued 220 people and located 55 dead.”

Most of the deceased have perished while trying to avoid detection – falling in ravines on Mount Cristo Rey, trying to swim across canals or getting lost in the desert after coming down from the border wall.

Baca said migrants in distress should not hesitate to call on the Border Patrol for help. The agency has placed 17 “rescue” beacons in isolated areas so that migrants can push a button and summon assistance, and placards with unique identifiers on the border wall and other places so the migrants can communicate their location to first responders.

Rescue beacons have been installed in different parts of the Border Patrol’s El Paso Sector to help migrants in distress call for help. (Border Patrol)

The Mexican drug cartels that often control migrant smuggling south of the border often play a role in migrant endangerment, as foreign nationals are left on their own once being helped over the border wall and get lost in the 1.5-mile stretch of desert between the wall and busy New Mexico Highway 273. The smugglers rarely provide their customers sufficient water to cross the desert, agents and security experts have told Border Report.

Mount Cristo Rey also poses a challenge for the migrants. “Part of it is in Mexico and part of it is in the U.S. It’s not just the heat, but also the terrain: people tend to fall at night and we have to effect a rescue,” Baca said.

The Border Patrol and local law enforcement agencies like the Sunland Park Fire Department often team up to carry out rescues. However, other mountainous terrains in the sector that stretches from Hudspeth County on the east and the New Mexico-Arizona border on the west aren’t near cities or towns with the rescue capabilities of Sunland Park. That is one more reason for migrants not to put their lives at risk.

Baca said border agents are trained to work under extreme heat conditions and provided equipment and resources to avoid health issues. That includes coolers with bottles of water that they will readily avail to any migrant they encounter in the desert.

“Many of our agents are emergency medical technicians and paramedics who can render first aid in rural areas,” Baca said. “We would prefer that migrants not risk their lives, but if they are already here and they are in trouble, please reach out to our agents. They will help you.”

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - Former Border Patrol Supervisor Ronald Anthony Burgos-Aviles is currently on trial, accused of the murder of Grizelda Hernandez, 27, and their one-year-old son, Dominic Alexander, on April 9, 2018. The trial continued into its second day, with Adriana Flores taking the stand as a key witness. Flores, a close friend of Grizelda, was the second witness to testify in the case. She revealed their long-standing friendship, which began during their middle school years and continued into adulthood, as both women became mothers.

Flores informed the jurors about Grizelda’s pursuit of a nursing career while facing financial difficulties. On April 9, 2018, the friends had a final meeting.

During questioning by the prosecution, Flores revealed that Burgos, the defendant, was aware of Grizelda’s pregnancy and had urged her to have an abortion. However, Grizelda chose to proceed with the pregnancy, giving birth to her son Dominic.

Furthermore, Flores disclosed that Grizelda had confided in her about filing for child support from Burgos. In order to complete the necessary paperwork, Grizelda needed to know Burgos’ address. The two friends conducted a social media investigation, attempting to locate his residence through Google searches. Eventually, they discovered that Burgos lived near Shiloh Crossing on Loop 20.

During their surveillance of his home, they made a shocking discovery: Burgos was married, despite initially claiming to be separated from his ex living in Florida. Flores recounted Grizelda’s reaction upon finding pictures of Burgos’ wife and children, noting the striking resemblance between Dominic and Burgos’ son.

According to Flores, Grizelda and Burgos occasionally met, although she was unsure of the exact circumstances of their initial encounter. Flores also shared text messages between herself and Grizelda, read aloud to the jurors. In these messages, Grizelda expressed her distress over Burgos’ desire to relinquish his parental rights, expressing sadness towards the fathers of both her children.

The prosecution then focused on March 25, 2018, and the events surrounding Dominic’s first meeting with Burgos at Winfield Park. Flores stated that Grizelda regretted the meeting, as it did not go as planned. Grizelda had hoped for Burgos to establish a relationship with their child and discuss child support. The encounter ended with Burgos uttering the words, “me vas a odiar,” which translates to “you’re going to hate me.” Flores interpreted this statement as a threat and advised Grizelda to obtain a restraining order. However, Grizelda did not take this step.

Later that evening, Flores recounted how Grizelda took Dominic to the hospital for treatment of a “bite” he had suffered earlier that day. After Dominic was discharged, the friends attended a concert the following day.

During cross-examination, the defense inquired if Flores was the last person to see both Grizelda and Dominic alive, to which she confirmed. Flores clarified that she had never met Burgos and had never witnessed Grizelda and Burgos together. The defense presented text messages indicating that Dominic had been unwell prior to his meeting with Burgos on March 25, 2018.

The third witness called to the stand was Bradley Dennison, a Border Patrol agent with 23 years of experience. Dennison provided insight into the equipment carried by agents, including their weapons and the routine gathering of agents, known as a “muster.” He explained the term “kilo unit,” referring to a designated pickup truck assigned to a border patrol station. Dennison stated that although the agency recommends specific boots, agents are free to choose their own, and each agent carries their own knife.

Dennison was then questioned about April 9, 2018, the day of the murders, and his assignment for the day. He informed the jurors that Burgos was his supervisor on that day. Dennison noticed a white car with a woman inside at Father McNaboe Park around 9 a.m. Father McNaboe Park is located in north Laredo along the Rio Grande near the World Trade Bridge. Later, he observed the same car passing by, with the driver appearing to be on the phone. Around 11 a.m., Dennison witnessed another kilo unit, driven by Burgos, speeding near the World Trade Bridge. Burgos had said he was “exploring.” This struck Dennison as unusual, considering Burgos’ nearly 9-year tenure in the area. Minutes later, Dennison heard Burgos requesting assistance for a wounded individual.

Dennison, accompanied by another agent and an EMT, arrived at the scene to find Burgos and a deceased woman on a dirt road. Dennison questioned why Burgos was present at the crime scene and raised concerns about potential contamination. Additionally, he discovered the lifeless body of a baby nearby. Crime scene images were presented, and Dennison positively identified the victims.

Following the incident, Laredo Police requested written statements from the Border Patrol agents regarding their observations. Dennison noted that this was his first encounter with a murder scene. The prosecution asked whether Burgos had mentioned any connection to the victims, if he possessed their cellphones, or recognized the bodies.

The trial proceedings adjourned for a lunch break at 12:34 p.m., with the trial set to resume at 1:45 p.m. Shortly after the jury returned from the lunch break, a contentious issue arose when the defense raised the attorney-client privilege concerning media coverage of attorney conversations at the table. The defense argued against recording or magnifying those discussions, but after careful consideration, Judge Lopez ruled that the media should refrain from zooming in on the defense table during attorney conferences.

Agent Dennison, a Border Patrol agent, took the stand resuming his position as a witness and faced intense questioning from the defense. They focused on inconsistencies in his statements about the crime scene, his lack of tracking expertise, and his statements before and after Burgos became a suspect. The defense also highlighted a rock as evidence and raised the possibility of perjury charges.

The state countered by revisiting Dennison’s statements which emphasized the challenge of filtering the details of a traumatic event. Dennison testified about seeing Burgos near the female body and the sound of his dragging feet. He claimed he never considered Burgos as the killer until he learned about his arrest.

After Dennison’s testimony concluded, Agent Francisco Lara took the stand to provide his account of the events. Agent Lara testified that he coincidentally encountered Burgos at a park, where Burgos asked for assistance. They lowered their windows and engaged in a brief conversation, during which Burgos mentioned needing to return to the station and inquired about an alternate route. Soon after, Lara heard a radio call summoning him and quickly drove to Burgos’ position near the soccer fields.

At 3:27 p.m., audio recordings from the day of the incident were played in court. Lara identified the voices on the call and explained his route to the crime scene. He described that he saw Burgos’ Kilo Truck and made his way toward him and that’s when he saw the silhouette of the victim and rushed toward her. Lara called out to the woman, but she did not respond, and he discovered she had been fatally wounded. Lara asked Burgos if he had gloves, but Burgos denied having any. Lara then obtained a glove from another agent, checked the victim’s pulse, and radioed in before touching her.

Lara testified that Burgos stood idly by as a supervisor while Lara took charge of the situation. He instructed a camera operator to scan the river and riverbanks for any potential suspects. After sending another agent to open the gate for paramedics, Lara was alone with Burgos and witnessed him moving the body.

During the testimony, audio clips were played, and a graphic photo of the victim’s feet with a shoe Burgos had placed was presented. Lara emphasized that the shoe was not near the body when he arrived and expressed concern about Burgos dragging his feet, which he considered strange and potentially tampering with the crime scene.

At 3:54 p.m., Lara mentioned that Agent Dennison and another agent arrived with the paramedics and began checking for signs of life. Lara stated that Burgos did not indicate any familiarity with the victim and expressed his belief that Burgos was not involved in the crime at the time.

During the proceedings, the defense presented evidence challenging Lara’s recollection of events. They focused on a shoe found at the crime scene, questioning Lara about the presence of memory foam and highlighting discrepancies between his initial interview and subsequent written statements regarding Burgos dragging his feet.

At 4:16 p.m., the defense pointed out that Lara’s initial summary was provided before he knew Burgos was the prime suspect. They emphasized that his knowledge evolved over time, including the discovery that Grizelda was Burgos’ baby’s mother.

However, the trial took an emotional turn at 4:21 p.m. when Lara became visibly upset and choked up on the witness stand. Weeping was heard in the courtroom, and the jurors looked down, affected by the intensity of the moment. Lara expressed his disappointment, remarking, “We are supposed to be the good guys.”

A woman in the stands echoed Lara’s sentiment, thanking him loudly. Judge Lopez offered Lara a short break, but he declined multiple times.

At 4:38 p.m., the defense requested that the “good guys” statement and the subsequent reaction from the crowd be stricken from the record. They further motioned for a mistrial, citing the disruption caused by the outburst. Judge Lopez considered the defense’s arguments but ultimately denied the motion.

The trial resumed at 4:49 p.m., with Judge Lopez instructing the jury to disregard Lara’s statement about who they are and what they stand for. The judge also emphasized that any comments or outbursts from the gallery should not influence their evaluation of the case.

The defense returned to questioning Lara at 4:51 p.m., focusing on the absence of references to Burgos dragging his feet in both his written statements. Lara acknowledged that recollections can evolve over time. However, Judge Lopez cautioned Lara against making comments about Burgos’ integrity and warned him not to repeat such remarks.

At 4:58 p.m., the prosecution continued their questioning, but a defense objection prompted a sidebar.

At 5:06 p.m., the prosecution questioned Agent Lara about his previous statements given to the police and interviews conducted five years ago. The state presented a transcript from April 23, 2018, in which Lara discussed Burgos’ actions, dragging his feet, and shoe placement. The prosecution emphasized that this was not the first time Lara mentioned Burgos dragging his feet, which Lara acknowledged.

The defense declined to cross-examine Lara at 5:10 p.m.

The state then called Juan C. Mercado as a witness at 5:13 p.m. Mercado, currently employed with the Border Patrol, identified Burgos as his neighbor. The prosecution presented video footage from multiple cameras, including one showing Burgos in shorts. The state questioned whether such attire was appropriate for a Border Patrol supervisor. A total of nearly 15 videos were shown, capturing various angles of the house and Burgos’ personal pickup truck leaving at 5:47 a.m. on the day of the murders.

At 5:37 p.m., the defense began their questioning of Mercado, highlighting his relationship with Burgos and mentioning a trip to South Padre Island. Mercado claimed familiarity with Burgos’ family.

Juan Ruiz, formerly of the Laredo Police Department’s Intelligence Unit, was called to the stand at 5:39 p.m. Ruiz, who worked in the department from April 2016 to November 2020, discussed his experience with intelligence gathering and cell phone forensics. He examined two cell phones, a Samsung Galaxy belonging to Burgos and a ZTE phone belonging to Grizelda. Ruiz explained the technical steps involved in extracting data from the phones, noting that the report could not be altered. When a discrepancy in the report was brought up, Ruiz dismissed it as a clerical error.

At 5:56 p.m., the defense declined to cross-examine Ruiz, and Judge Lopez adjourned the court for the day. Proceedings will resume at the same time tomorrow.

WEBB COUNTY, Tex. (KGNS) - As sweltering temperatures continue to grip the region, Webb County and the City of Laredo have taken proactive steps to provide relief to residents by opening cooling centers. These centers offer a respite from the scorching heat and ensure that individuals have a safe and comfortable environment to escape to.

In Webb County, a total of 10 community centers have been designated as cooling centers. These centers are open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. They serve as welcoming spaces where residents can find relief and seek shelter from the intense heat.

Simultaneously, the City of Laredo has established four cooling centers to cater to the needs of its residents. These centers operate on extended hours to accommodate individuals throughout the day. From Monday to Friday, the centers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. On weekends, they operate from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The extended hours aim to ensure that residents have ample opportunities to access the cooling centers and find solace from the relentless heat.

VINTON, Texas (Border Report) – Fifteen-hundred residents of an overwhelmingly Hispanic community in Far West Texas now have access to clean drinking water thanks to state and federal grants.

Vinton Mayor Rachel Quintana and other dignitaries on Tuesday celebrated the completion of a water distribution system several years in the making. It eliminates exposure to arsenic and bacteria that plagued the system it replaced.

A wastewater collection system is now in the works to connect to underground pipes 506 homes using septic tanks.

“I’ve lived out here 47 years and there’s always been a problem with septic tanks contaminating our ground. We need to move away from that (because) all that goes into the ground, our underground rivers,” Quintana said.

The water and wastewater projects were financed by a $4.9 million grant by the Border Environmental Infrastructure Fund of the North American Development Bank, $16.7 million in grants and loans from the Texas Water Development Board and $7.1 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development fund.

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, a former El Paso County Judge, said improving basic water infrastructure for small Texas communities is a financial challenge only met through local, state and federal collaboration.

“One of the most frustrating and challenging aspects of the job (as county judge) was that there was incredible need in our community and not nearly enough resources,” Escobar said. “There are pockets all over El Paso, whether it’d be here in the west side or all the way to the far eastern side of the county, colonias that have gone a long time without fundamental services that you and I take for granted.”

Colonias are substandard housing developments often found along the Texas-Mexico border where residents lack basic services like clean drinking water, sewage treatment or paved roads.

Quintana said her community – whose adult population is 85% Spanish-speaking, according to census data – has improved a lot compared to when she was a teenager. She next hopes to turn an abandoned industrial yard into a park with baseball fields with a $2 million U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant.

EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – A New York congressman facing fraud and money laundering charges says he did not violate the conditions of his release on bond by coming to El Paso to tour the border on Monday.

“I would not violate any conditions set forth (by the court). I am here on full compliance, and I am here legally,” U.S. Rep. George Santos, R-NY, told reporters at a news conference at the Hyatt Place El Paso Airport hotel.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York has banned Santos from traveling outside New York City or the District of Columbia unless he gives the court advance notice. Santos is under a 13-count federal indictment that includes seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one court of theft of public funds, and two counts of making false statements to the House of Representatives.

On Monday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-California, told Fox News that Santos should not run for re-election due to his legal troubles.

But Santos said he was in El Paso as part of his job in the U.S. House of Representatives. He said he wanted to see first-hand how border agents and officers are faring amid a years-long humanitarian and public safety crisis.

“Currently we have 400 to 500 new people coming in every single day. Yes, it is lower than at the beginning of the year. But let’s not forget that this calendar year” hundreds of thousands of new migrants have come into the country between ports of entry, he said.

Santos, the son of Brazilian immigrants, echoed fellow Republicans’ calls for hiring more border agents, getting U.S. Customs and Border Protection a bigger budget, and he alleged that at least a handful of asylum-seekers in his New York district have been arrested for robbery.

Santos would not answer any questions about his indictment, any other legal issues or the House speaker turning his back on him.

He admitted he did not give the two members of Congress who represent El Paso advanced notice of his trip. But he added he supports an immigration reform bill co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, The Dignity Act 2023, and that he has spoken to U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, about immigration issues in the past.

“I think it’s a great bill sponsored by the congresswoman. I think she’s on the right path along with (Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira) Salazar from Miami. It’s a great start for all of us and we’re going to try to get something on the chopping block,” Santos said.

Santos said he hopes to visit other parts of the border – like California or the Rio Grande Valley of Texas – to get a full picture of the immigration crisis.  

WASHINGTON (AP) — On the surface, the turmoil in Russia would seem like something for the U.S. to celebrate: a powerful mercenary group engaging in a short-lived clash with Russia’s military at the very moment that Ukraine is trying to gain momentum in a critical counteroffensive.

But the public response by Washington has been decidedly cautious. Officials say the U.S. had no role in the conflict, insist this was an internal matter for Russia and decline to comment on whether it could affect the war in Ukraine. The reason: to avoid creating an opening for Russian President Vladimir Putin to seize on the rhetoric of American officials and rally Russians by blaming his Western adversaries.

Even President Joe Biden, known for straying from talking points, has stayed on script.

Biden told reporters Monday that the United States and NATO weren’t involved. Biden said he held a video call with allies over the weekend and they are all in sync in working to ensure that they give Putin “no excuse to blame this on the West” or NATO.

“We made clear that we were not involved. We had nothing to do with it,” Biden said. “This was part of a struggle within the Russian system.”

Biden and administration officials declined to give an immediate assessment of what the 22-hour uprising by the Wagner Group might mean for Russia’s war in Ukraine, for mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin or for Russia itself.

“We’re going to keep assessing the fallout of this weekend’s events and the implications from Russia and Ukraine,” Biden said. “But it’s still too early to reach a definitive conclusion about where this is going.”

Putin, in his first public comments since the rebellion, said “Russia’s enemies” had hoped the mutiny would succeed in dividing and weakening Russia, “but they miscalculated.” He identified the enemies as “the neo-Nazis in Kyiv, their Western patrons and other national traitors.”

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia was investigating whether Western intelligence services were involved in Prigozhin’s rebellion.

Over the course of a tumultuous weekend in Russia, U.S. diplomats were in contact with their counterparts in Moscow to underscore that the American government regarded the matter as a domestic affair for Russia, with the U.S. only a bystander, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, said that Putin in the past has alleged clandestine U.S. involvement in events — including democratic uprisings in former Soviet countries, and campaigns by democracy activists inside and outside Russia — as a way to diminish public support among Russians for those challenges to the Russian system.

The U.S. and NATO “don’t want to be blamed for the appearance of trying to destabilize Putin,” McFaul said.

A feud between the Wagner Group leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and Russia’s military brass that has festered throughout the war erupted into the mutiny that saw the mercenaries leave Ukraine to seize a military headquarters in a southern Russian city. They rolled for hundreds of kilometers toward Moscow, before turning around on Saturday, in a deal whose terms remain uncertain.

Biden’s national security team briefed him hourly as Prigozhin’s forces were on the move, the president said. He said he had directed them to “prepare for a range of scenarios” as Russia’s crisis unfolded.

Biden did not elaborate on the scenarios. But national security spokesman John Kirby addressed one concern raised frequently as the world watched the cracks opening in Putin’s hold on power — worries that the Russian leader might take extreme action to reassert his command.

Putin and his lieutenants have made repeated references to Russia’s nuclear weapons since invading Ukraine 16 months ago, aiming to discourage NATO countries from increasing their support to Ukraine.

“One thing that we have always talked about, unabashedly so, is that it’s in nobody’s interest for this war to escalate beyond the level of violence that is already visited upon the Ukrainian people,” Kirby said at a White House news briefing. “It’s not good for, certainly, Ukraine and not good for our allies and partners in Europe. Quite frankly, it’s not good for the Russian people.”

Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the weekend, telling him, ”’No matter what happened in Russia, let me say again, no matter what happened in Russia, we in the United States would continue to support Ukraine’s defense and sovereignty and its territorial integrity.” Biden said.

The Pentagon is expected to announce Tuesday that it is sending up to $500 million in additional military aid to Ukraine, including more than 50 heavily armored vehicles and an infusion of missiles for air defense systems, U.S. officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the aid had not yet been publicly announced.

Biden, in the first weeks after Putin sent tens of thousands of Russian forces into Ukraine in February 2022, had issued a passionate statement against the Russian leader’s continuing in command. “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” he said then, as reports emerged of Russian atrocities against civilians in Ukraine.

On Monday, U.S. officials were careful not to be seen as backing either Putin or his former longtime protege, Prigozhin, in public comments.

“We believe it’s up to the Russian people to determine who their leadership is,” Kirby said.

White House officials were also trying to understand how Beijing was digesting the Wagner revolt and what it might mean for the China-Russia relationship going forward. China and Russia are each other’s closest major partner. The White House says Beijing has considered — but not followed through on — sending Russia weaponry for use in Ukraine.

“I think it’d be fair to say that recent developments in Russia had been unsettling to the Chinese leadership,” said Kurt Campbell, coordinator for the Indo-Pacific at the White House National Security Council, speaking at a forum hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “I think I’ll just leave it at that.”

China values Russia as a friend in part to keep from standing alone against the U.S. and its allies in disputes. With Russia’s invasion and resulting international sanctions sapping Russian resources and now sparking a rebellion, McFaul said, Ukraine and its allies could make the case: ”’Xi Jinping, you know, if you want your buddy to stay in power, maybe this is the time to put some pressure on him to wrap up this war.‴

EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – El Paso County commissioners on Monday approved a $2.7 million contract for a private company to provide local transportation to migrants released from immigration custody.

The contract with Aegis Defense Services runs from July 1 through Dec. 31 and contemplates the transport of up to 300 migrants a day to and from detention centers, shelters, the airport and bus stations. It also leaves the door open for the transportation of up to 800 migrants a day from U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing facilities to the county’s Migrant Support Services Center at 4121 Montana Ave.

The commission approved the contract despite a recent major drop in migrant apprehensions and releases in El Paso County in the past few weeks. Migrant encounters in the El Paso Sector have gone down from a daily average of 1,522 in early May to 673 last week, according to the City of El Paso’s migrant dashboard, which receives data from CBP. No migrants have been released onto El Paso streets in months.

The contract does state that both parties understand the transportation will depend on the demand for the service.

The action formalizes the outcome of a May 15 bidding process that Aegis won, said Irene G. Valenzuela, executive director of the county’s Community Services Department.

The company agrees to hire experienced drivers who pass a background check and to provide up to eight Americans with Disabilities Act compliant shuttles to and from the sites mentioned above. It also commits to meet with county officials at least monthly to go over processes, issues or adjustments to service based on demand and other factors.

Valenzuela said Aegis would also be transporting migrants who come into the U.S. through the CBP One app from the (Paso del Norte) port of entry to the county migrant travel facility.

The company, also known as GardaWorld Federal Services, stands to make up to $2,716,296.80 under the contract. The funding is available from a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursements account.

County commissioners approved the contract without discussion.