Advocating on behalf of our border patrol agents

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A LETTER FROM THE CONGRESSMAN

Agents serving on the frontlines of the United States-Mexico border have become our last line of defense against total lawlessness taking over South Texas towns. I represent a district that spans over 800 miles of the southern border, and for two years, this national security crisis has spiraled out of control. Residents living in communities along the border feel helpless and abandoned, left to navigate the dangers that come with open border policies. Loss of life and tragedy have become a daily reality across my district, and while the crisis is worse in some areas than others, Cotulla has been hit hard.

In June of 2022, a grim discovery was made in San Antonio, Texas. A semi-truck that had successfully passed through the Laredo, Texas checkpoint was found abandoned with 64 migrants locked in the back.

Trapped in the summer heat, 53 of these men, women, and children died. Recognizing that this human smuggler passed through our borders undetected, authorities scrambled to prevent a similar incident. To bolster security in high-traffic areas, agents from the Cotulla Border Patrol station were quickly relocated to the Laredo checkpoint. Unfortunately, this plan did not account for the residents of Cotulla and surrounding counties who rely on support from those 96 agents. With Border Patrol agents taken off the front lines, Frio, Zavala, Dimmit and La Salle counties quickly felt the impact as local law enforcement were put into overdrive against cartel and human trafficking activity.

For months, I pressured headquarters at Customs and Border Protection to address this serious issue and return our agents to Cotulla. This was a problem that could not be brushed off any longer, which is why I met with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to put our differences aside and bring his attention to it.

In the days following our meeting, the Cotulla station was reopened, and agents were returned to their security operations in the area.

While the reopening of the Cotulla Border Patrol Station is a big win for Texas, our men and women in green are still overwhelmed and overworked. That’s why I recently introduced the Security First Act. This crucial legislation bolsters funding for Operation Stonegarden, a program that enables border security partnerships between Border Patrol and local law enforcement.

Not long ago, I also met with some of the agents serving on the frontlines in Cotulla to thank them for working each day to keep La Salle County and our nation safe.

I’m looking forward to continue advocating on behalf of our brave Border Patrol agents and law enforcement as we continue our efforts to secure the southern border.