A member of the Texas National Guard remains missing Friday night after attempting to rescue migrants from drowning in the Rio Grande River earlier in the day, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).
Citing a Fox News report, the Maverick County Sheriff said the Texas guardsman went missing in the water around 8:30 a.m. Friday (local time), while trying to save a female migrant.
The migrant survived the Eagle Pass, Texas, crossover and is now in Border Patrol custody. The search for the soldier, however, has been going on for more than 10 hours as of Friday night.
The soldier has yet to be publicly identified, although one Texas media outlet reports his age at 23.
Earlier reports stated the missing soldier had drowned in the river, but the Texas Military Department was quick to refute that outcome.
"A Texas Army National Guard Soldier assigned to Operation Lone Star has gone missing along the river during a mission related incident, Friday April 22, 2022 in Eagle Pass, Texas," the statement reads.
"The Soldier has not been found. We are aware of reports of a fatality, although those reports are inaccurate. The Texas Military Department, Texas DPS and Border Patrol are working rapidly to find the Soldier. More details will be released as they become available."
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also issued a statement regarding the missing guardsman.
"The Texas Governor's office continues to work with the Texas National Guard and other law enforcement agencies as they search for the missing soldier. Updates will be provided as additional details become available."
The deadly rescue mission comes on the heels of an escalating border crisis in the United States.
The Biden administration reportedly allowed 1.66 million unlawful crossings during a 12-month cycle, covering parts of 2020 and 2021; preliminary estimates for 2022 have even more unlawful crossings documented.
Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently repealed Title 42, a health regulation put into play during the COVID pandemic to keep people from crossing the border.
And on Thursday, Breitbart News reported that Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol agents and Texas DPS officers jointly seized a hidden cattle trailer with 15 migrants hiding under bales of hay.
The Eagle Pass crossing has previously been a source of border controversy in terms of being a popular, but dangerous access point for migrants.
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