Florida personnel make contact with thousands of undocumented migrants at Texas border

Lydia Nusbaum contributed to this report.

Editor’s note: This story was updated to include up-to-date figures on migrant encounters and arrests.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that state personnel deployed to the southern border with Mexico in Texas have made contact with thousands of undocumented migrants, along with assisting in more than 300 arrests.

According to the governor’s office, Florida agents made contact with around 7,000 undocumented migrants in Texas.

They assisted Texas with more than 300 arrests related to human smuggling, unlawful carrying of weapons and drug paraphernalia. One suspect also reportedly had a capital murder warrant.

Personnel deployed from Florida include over 400 agents with the Florida National Guard, 101 Florida Highway Patrol troopers and more agents from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Sergeant Yuknavagem a Florida Highway Patrol officer deployed to Texas, said the situation at the border is so bad that he witnessed a baby being thrown over the line dividing the two countries.

“Something needs to be done,” he said. “It’s the kids that [drives] me crazy.”

“We’ve been coming into contact with multiple migrants,” the officer said. “What we’re doing is basically grabbing hold of them. If they get over the wire, we turn them over to border patrol.”

“They usually throw blankets over it, they try to get their family units through,” he continued, speaking in front of a wave of migrants camped out near the border.

DeSantis announced the deployment to Texas last month.

“The impacts of Biden’s Border Crisis are felt by communities across the nation, and the federal government’s abdication of duty undermines the sovereignty of our country and the rule of law,” DeSantis said.

“At my direction, state agencies including law enforcement and the Florida National Guard are being deployed to Texas, with assets including personnel, boats and planes. While Biden ignores the crisis he created, Florida stands ready to help Texas respond to this crisis,” he said.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott requested help from governors across the country.

Texas requested help through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact because of the “national security threat posed by the federal government’s failure to secure the international border with Mexico.”

The governor made a similar move in June of 2021 when he sent personnel and equipment from the the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to the southern border.

“When the Governors of Texas and Arizona reached out for help, Florida answered the call,” DeSantis said in 2021. “We are witnessing a catastrophe at the southern border under the Biden Administration. In recent months, we have seen people from the terrorist watch list, known sex offenders and a flood of fentanyl cross over the border. This is a national security crisis, and we must get it under control.”