EAGLE PASS, Texas (Border Report) — Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan was among a group of Republicans who toured the border here by air and boat on Tuesday as lawmakers in Austin prepare to debate a controversial border security spending bill during the ongoing third Special Session.

Phelan and three Republicans were joined by state Rep. Eddie Morales Jr., D-Eagle Pass, on Tuesday morning as they spent time on the ground, in the Rio Grande, and in the sky over both countries, assessing border security operations to thwart migrants from crossing illegally from Piedras Negras, Mexico.

Their visit came as lawmakers in Austin are expected to vote on whether to spend $1.5 billion for the state to construct its own border wall, much of which will be built in the Rio Grande Valley.

“Obviously, since it is my hometown and it is my district, I happily took advantage of that request and making sure that I traveled with them. I wanted to show how beautiful Eagle Pass and Maverick County is, as well as District 74. I wanted to address some of the realities taking place on the border and dispel some of the myths also,” Morales told Border Report.

“I think every state senator and every state representative should be required to come down here and see this with their own eyes,” Texas state Rep. Jeff Leach, a Republican from Collin County near Dallas, said after their tour, which lasted about 90 minutes.

When asked by Border Report what the group saw as they sped up and down the Rio Grande in two noisy Texas Department of Public Safety airboats and a pair of DPS helicopters, Leach said he believed they saw upwards of 100 migrants trying to cross illegally into Texas via the international river.

“This is a humanitarian crisis,” Leach said. “You just can’t fully grasp the vastness of this challenge for the state unless you get down here and see it for yourself.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection just released Fiscal Year 2023 data that showed an all-time high for yearly migrant encounters along the Southwest border. That includes the Del Rio Sector, of which Eagle Pass is part.

And in September, there were 269,735 migrants encountered on the Southwest border — the most ever recorded in a single month by CBP, according to CBP data.

There were 45,688 migrants who crossed in the Del Rio Sector in September, with most being Venezuelans and most crossing into Eagle Pass, agency data shows.

Nearly 400,000 migrants were encountered in the Del Rio Sector in Fiscal Year 2023.

Miles of concertina wire are unspooled on the banks of the river here, which have been stripped and cleared of brush.

When the wind blows — and it often does here — the dust travels into every crevice of one’s body. Asylum-seekers who cross the river often ask onlookers for “agua” as they dehydrate in the scorching South Texas sun.

Many cross downriver from the two international bridges, near a $1 million 1,000-foot-long marine barrier of spherical buoys that the State of Texas has put in the river as part of its Operation Lone Star border security initiative.

After just a couple of months, the orange buoys already are fading from the sun, and have had to be moved closer to the U.S. shore after complaints from Mexico.

Since 2021, the state has spent nearly $10 billion to fund Operation Lone Star, which also includes Texas National Guard troops guarding the riverbanks alongside large shipping containers put up to prevent migrants from crossing.

DPS Director Steve McCraw told Border Report that it’s important for lawmakers to see firsthand the operations, especially as they debate a $1.5 billion border wall spending bill.

“It’s vitally important. Certainly, in their oversight responsibilities they need to see exactly what’s going on and how the money’s been spent and how productive we’ve been in combating transnational criminal activity,” McCraw said.

“Infrastructure is vitally important,” McCraw said. “You also need boots on the ground, and technology.”

He characterized it as a “layered defense” and said Texas is leading the nation in protecting the border because he alleges the federal government isn’t doing enough.

Morales wants lawmakers to not only think about deterrence but also a way that both countries can benefit from those who want to come to Texas and work. He would like lawmakers to pass the Texas Secure Our Border Migrant Processing Plan, in which the state would charge every migrant $2,000 for a “migrant processing fee” and in return, they would be allowed to work within the state at jobs pending proof of an employment sponsor. They must have no criminal history and must come through Texas land ports, not illegally through the river.

“That would not be my first choice to build a border wall. I think we can use the resources and put them to better use,” Morales said Tuesday.

Republican state Reps. Justin Holland, of Heath, and Jacey Jetton, of Fort Bend County, also joined Tuesday’s border tour.

Phelan’s visit came as he is embroiled in a fight with state Republican leaders and on Monday called on Texas GOP Chair Matt Rinaldi to resign over reports that he had met with an avowed antisemite and Nazi sympathizer.

Phelan did not comment on the controversy.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - A domestic dispute in west Laredo turned violent Wednesday morning, according to the Laredo Police Department.

37-year-old Juan D. Torres has been arrested and now faces charges of aggravated assault and assault by strangulation.

On Wednesday, October 25, Laredo Police responded to a call shortly after 5:00 a.m. at the 2900 block of Pinder Avenue. According to police, Torres was the one who made the call stating that he had stabbed his wife.

When officers went to the residence they noticed that Torres’s wife had visible signs of a violent altercation, including stab wounds. She was attended to by emergency medical services and taken to Laredo Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

Juan D. Torres was taken into custody by Laredo police and taken to the Webb County Jail.

McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — Migrant encounters on the Southwest border in September and for all of Fiscal Year 2023 were the most ever recorded by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and there were significant changes in where migrants cross from Mexico this past year, the agency reports

There were 269,735 migrants encountered on the Southwest border in September — the most ever recorded in a single month by CBP. That’s up nearly 16% from 232,963 in August, and up nearly 50% from July, according to CBP data released Saturday.

September marked the end of Fiscal Year 2023, during which the agency encountered a total of 2.48 million migrants on the Southwest border — an agency record and about 100,000 more from the 2.38 million encounters in Fiscal Year 2022, according to agency data.

The increase in migrant encounters elicited criticisms of the Biden administration, some of which might have been muted by an unusual weekend release of the numbers, which typically come out during weekdays.

U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, said: “This fiscal year may have ended, but the historic crisis at our Southwest border sparked by Secretary Mayorkas’ policies rages on. These numbers demonstrate beyond doubt that Secretary Mayorkas’ refusal to enforce the law and secure our border is jeopardizing our safety and security.”

Green charges that CBP and Border Patrol agents “continue to be completely overwhelmed by the flood of illegal immigration.”

Although Fiscal Year 2023 totals were up just 4% from Fiscal Year 2022, Green said the totals don’t reflect the 1.7 million “known gotaways” of migrants who crossed the border from Mexico into the United States.

He also linked the infiltration of undocumented migrants on the border with those who caused the Oct. 7 incursion in Israel and said “our country is less safe.”

CBP officials countered that more forces than ever are guarding the Southwest border.

“In response to high rates of encounters across the Southwest border in September, CBP surged resources and personnel. We are continually engaging with domestic and foreign partners to address historic hemispheric migration, including large migrant groups traveling on freight trains, and to enforce consequences including by preparing for direct repatriations to Venezuela,” Acting CBP Commissioner Troy Miller said in a statement.

“CBP will continue to remain vigilant, making operational adjustments as necessary and enforcing consequences under U.S. immigration law,” he said.

Miller added that if $14 billion in supplemental funding is approved by Congress, which was requested Friday by President Joe Biden, then he said it “would provide critically needed additional resources including additional CBP agents and officers to support our essential missions: from border and migration management, to countering fentanyl and keeping dangerous drugs out of our communities.”

Adjustments likely will be geographic as the ebb and flow of migrants into U.S. border communities changed significantly in September from previous months.

Arizona’s Tucson Sector had the most migrant encounters in September at 51,000 — up 109% from 24,359 encounters in June, according to CBP data. And for Fiscal Year 2023, the Tucson Sector recorded a 48% increase in total migrant encounters.

By contrast, El Paso saw a dramatic dip in migrants at the end of the fiscal year. In December, 55,769 asylum-seekers crossed into the West Texas border city, but that dropped 46% in September to 38,148, CBP reports.

Nevertheless, El Paso overall saw a 39% increase in migrant encounters this fiscal year that just ended with 427,471 crossing in Fiscal Year 2023 from 307,844 in Fiscal Year 2022. And the sector reported the most migrant encounters of any sector on the Southwest border.

South Texas also saw significant migrant encounters in Fiscal Year 2023. The Del Rio Sector reported the second-most migrant encounters on the border in Fiscal Year 2023, with 393,226; followed by the Rio Grande Valley with 338,337. Both of these sectors, however, saw a dip from Fiscal Year 2022: 18% in Del Rio and 27% in the RGV, CBP reports.

The Southern California sectors saw overall migrant increases with a 31% uptick in San Diego and 30% increase in El Centro.

The Laredo Sector saw the largest drop in migrant encounters, 57%, in Fiscal Year 2023.

Most of the migrants crossing into South and West Texas in Fiscal Year 2023 were Venezuelans. But that trend might end as the Biden administration has begun deportation flights to that South American country for the first time in several years.

The first deportation flight left Harlingen, Texas, on Wednesday carrying 130 migrants back to Venezuela.

On Monday, the Welcome With Dignity grassroots migrant advocacy campaign issued a statement about the new deportation flights to Venezuela calling it “abhorrent” to return asylum-seekers to a country where the United Nations has documented human rights violations.

“Venezuela is the only country in Latin America currently under an ongoing investigation at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. Undoubtedly, many of the asylum seekers and migrants on the plane risked unimaginable danger, including a voyage through a dangerous stretch of jungle in Panama to get to Central America and, ultimately, the U.S.-Mexico border to seek refuge and safety,” said Welcome With Dignity Campaign Manager Melina Roche.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - A local business near the old military base on Pappas St. says they recently fell victim to property theft by one of their contractors.

Surveillance footage captures a man, along with his vehicle, making off with two ladders valued at around $800, according to Autophone of Laredo.

The business says they are currently working on expanding its operations through building renovations and has many contractors and workers going in and out of the premises.

One AutoPhone employee who wished to remain anonymous told us, ”We trusted people that we hired to do these kinds of works. The gate was locked with a lock with a code, so it had to have been somebody that was here working for us. Unfortunately, it does happen. It is sad because we’re trying to invest in the company. We’re a local company. Why would you steal from your neighbors? So it is very sad, the owner is upset about it. We’re just disappointed.”

The business has filed a police report and is waiting for updates from investigators on the case.

If you have any information, you can reach out to Laredo police at (956) 795-2800.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - Over 17,000 homes are without electricity due to a power outage in Laredo.

According to the AEP website, 18,283 residents are experiencing service interruptions.

AEP is aware of the issue and they are working on restoring services.

Drivers in Laredo are urged to be cautious and seek alternative routes as traffic lights along the entire length of Loop 20 are currently out of service due to a major power outage affecting key traffic intersections. This has led to potential delays and increased traffic congestion.

The intersections affected include the following:

• Saunders/Loop 20

• University/Loop 20

• 5200 Loop 20 - Airport

• Del Mar/Loop 20

• Jacaman/Sinatra

• Pita Mangana/83

• Lomas Del Sur/83

• Jaime Zapata/83

The Laredo Police Department has confirmed that American Electric Power (AEP) is working to resolve the power outage.

LAREDO, TX. (KGNS) - A car crash causes major traffic congestion on Mines Road Tuesday morning.

According to Laredo Police, the collision happened near FM1472 and Killam Industrial at around 11:30 a.m.

The crash created major traffic congestion for those heading south on Mines Road.

No word on any injuries at the moment.

Laredo Police are urging drivers to proceed with caution.