Authorities pause search at the border for Texas National Guard soldier – USA TODAY
Authorities have paused their search for a missing Texas Army National Guard soldier hours after the soldier, who was assigned to a border enforcement mission, went missing along the Rio Grande, the Texas Military Department said.
A release says strong river currents forced the search effort to stop for the night and that the soldier’s next of kin are being notified. Dive operations may resume Saturday.
Sheriff Tom Schmerber of Maverick County said the solider had been attempting to rescue a migrant struggling in the water.
“He jumped in the river,” Schmerber said. “They never saw him come out.”
The woman made it across and was placed in the custody of Border Patrol, said Schmerber, whose department was involved early in the search.
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Strong currents have created treacherous conditions for people trying to cross the Rio Grande this month, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Earlier this month, a Border Patrol Marine Unit rescued several people who were “swept off their feet” by swiftly moving water, the agency said.
Rescues are common in the river and attempted border crossings can be deadly. Schmerber said it’s common to find bodies of migrants along his county’s section of the river.
The solider was assigned to Operation Lone Star, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s controversial immigration enforcement mission.
The Texas governor’s office is working with the Texas National Guard as they search for the missing soldier, Abbott said on Twitter Friday afternoon.
Friday’s incident comes roughly one year into a ramping up of border enforcement along the Rio Grande as a part of Operation Lone Star.
When Operation Lone Star launched in March 2021, Abbott said, “We will surge the resources and law enforcement personnel needed to confront this crisis,” blaming the Biden administration for policies that he said invited illegal immigration and roiled the border in a growing humanitarian crisis.
A central focus of Operation Lone Star was the arrest and detention of people crossing the border. The effort has been strongly criticized for militarizing the border and interfering with immigration enforcement, a federal responsibility.
In January, lawyers argued Operation Lone Star violates the U.S. Constitution.
Guardsmen themselves have also voiced a litany of complaints about poor conditions during their mission, including massive COVID-19 outbreaks.
Contributing: Tony Plohetski, Chuck Lindell and Katie Hall, Austin American-Statesman; The Associated Press