Strict Border Enforcement Policies Put Migrants in Harm’s Way. Title 42 Is No Exception. In fiscal year 2020, border encounters dropped by half while rescue rates doubled. Experts and humanitarian groups point to a Trump-era policy that continues today. Sally Deng for The Marshall Project
Migrants were found lost in the desert, tucked under rocks in the mountains, and trapped by the rushing tides of the Rio Grande. Some were experiencing heat exhaustion in 115-degree weather, while others nearly died from hypothermia. In Laredo, Texas, one woman was found falling in and out of consciousness from dehydration. In the Jacumba Mountains of Southern California, a man with a fractured ankle had to be carried out of the impassable terrain in a litter basket. In Arizona, two people were found dead in the desert with the word “HELP” written on the ground nearby.
Homicide investigation underway in central Laredo
May 13, 2021
FacebookTwitterEmail
1of3
Laredo’s fourth homicide of the year occurred at about 3 a.m. Thursday in the 3700 block of Sanders Street.Courtesy /Google MapsShow MoreShow Less
2of3
Laredo police blocked off the area of the 3700 block of Sanders Street. A man’s death was determined to be the city’s fourth homicide this year. The case is under investigation.Courtesy photo /Show MoreShow Less
3of3
Laredo police are investigating the fourth homicide recorded this year.
The incident occurred at about 3 a.m. Thursday in the 3700 block of Sanders Street. Authorities said the victim is a 29-year-old man. His name was not released since next of kin is pending.
Human remains found in southern Webb County
May 6, 2021
FacebookTwitterEmail
U.S. Border Patrol agents discovered human remains on May 4 in southern Webb County. An investigation is underway to determine the identity of the person.U.S. Border Patrol
U.S. Border Patrol agents announced on their Facebook page Thursday that they discovered human remains in the form of a skeleton in southern Webb County on May 4.
Webb County Sheriff s Office deputies responded to the discovery made by the agents. Webb County Medical Examiner’s Office personnel took custody of the remains.
An investigation is underway to determine the identity of the person.
Annual Migrant Deaths in Texas County 80 Miles from Border Jumps to 26
6 May 2021
The deaths of migrants in one Texas county located 80 miles north of the Mexican border continues to rise at an alarming rate. During the first four months of 2021, Brooks County Sheriff’s Office deputies recovered the bodies or remains of 26 deceased migrants. This compares to 34 deaths for all of 2020.
In March, Brooks County Sheriff Benny Martinez told Breitbart Texas he expected the number of deaths to rise because of increasing temperatures and the larger number of migrants being smuggled through the county. At that time, the Brooks County death toll stood at 18. That number currently stands at 26 as of April 30, reports from the sheriff’s office reveal.
Affidavit: Suspect wanted homicide victim to smuggle narcotics
April 11, 2021
FacebookTwitterEmail
5of6
Justin Allen Heath, 25, was found dead on Feb. 23 where the 4500 block of Clark Boulevard ends.Courtesy /Laredo Police DepartmentShow MoreShow Less
6of6
Prior to being found dead near the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Lab east of Bob Bullock Loop, Justin Allen Heath told his girlfriend that Colton Quade Branning wanted Heath to smuggle a load of narcotics, states an arrest affidavit.
Branning, 30, was arrested in connection with the death of Heath, 25, and was charged with murder. Branning has been behind bars since he was booked into the Webb County Jail on March 16. Heath’s death marked the city’s second homicide in 2021.