At least eight migrants have drowned and dozens have been rescued trying to cross the Rio Grande River from Mexico to the United States, an official source said Friday. In a statement to AFP, US Customs and Border Protection (CPB) said a group of illegal immigrants drowned while trying to cross the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, Texas, on Thursday.
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Thirty-seven people were rescued, but during the rescue operation, eight migrants were found dead, two by Mexican police and six by US agents, according to the same source. A total of 92 migrants were arrested, 39 along the Mexico River and 53 by US agents. No information was provided on the age or citizenship of the migrants.
A CBP official told the Washington Post it was the worst drowning in years along the Rio Grande coast. Eagle Pass is in the Del Rio region, where nearly 50,000 migrants were arrested last month, according to government data. City fire chief Manuel Mello told the New York Times that the migrants were swept away by strong currents about a mile south of the international bridge that connects Eagle Pass to Pietras Negras, Mexico. He pointed out that drowning incidents are frequent in the area, once a day.
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