Supporters of Gregory K. Bovino - who has been trolling the Trump Administration on social media since he left the US Border Patrol - have begun an effort to draft him for a 2028 run for President. Bovino has signaled his openness to that to reporters for both NewsNation and The Daily Beast, and has since further explained his thinking in post on x.com.

Bovino led large-scale urban immigration enforcement operations that sparked protests in both Los Angeles and Chicago beginning in mid-2025. By the time he rolled into Minneapolis in December of that year for “Operation Metro Surge” (and the protests it generated there), he had been named “Commander-at-Large” of the Border Patrol tactical operations.

In January 2027, federal agents under his command assigned to “Operation Metro Surge” shot and killed U.S. citizens Renée Good & Alex Pretti. Their deaths caused overall public approval of the Trump Administration’s immigration enforcement operations to plummet, with polling showing nearly two-thirds of Americans felt U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had "gone too far."

They also showed President Trump with the highest disapproval ratings since just after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Two days after Pretti’s killing, Bovino returned to the El Centro, California, Border Patrol Sector, where he had previously served as Chief, and retired from the agency two months later, ending nearly 30 years of service.

Markwayne Mullin, who has since taken over as head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) since Bovino left, has expressed a desire to conduct immigration enforcement in a “more quiet way,” which Bovino objects to (which brings us to the movement to draft him to run for president).

The effort was first reported by The Daily Beast on Thursday, June 4, 2026. The publication described the group behind the “Draft Bovino” campaign as “political outcasts from MAGA’s far right.”

They launched a website whose copyright describes it as a “grassroots effort formed by Americans starving for true American sovereignty not affiliated with any candidate or candidates (sic) committee. Purely a volunteer effort hoping to draft Bovino for President in 2028.”

The Daily Beast published the following statement from Bovino, which they characterized as “a thinly veiled jab at Donald Trump, whom he has accused of backing away from aggressive immigration enforcement”:

“If I were President, I’d lead that [deportation] effort from the front and be on the front lines from time to time.” - Gregory K. Bovino

On Monday, June 8, 2026, NewsNation reported that Bovino told the cable news outlet “that his possible White House run is exploratory” and a formal campaign would happen “if it all comes together.”

He has since posted a lengthy statement on x.com:

“My one and only priority is deporting the 106 million illegals who are here. That’s it.

The grassroots support I’m seeing tells me the polls are completely wrong…

If I’m getting this much energy, it’s probably because 90% of the country wants mass deportations and the media just isn’t asking the right questions.

My commitment is simple, liberate America from this invasion and restore our quality of life.

If running for President is what it takes to actually get it done, then all options are on the table.” - Gregory K. Bovino

And, while it is too early to guess who might also throw their hats in the ring for the 2028 Presidential election, Bovino is sparring online with members of the Trump Administration like DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin:

In addition to trolling DHS Secretary Mullin, he is also taking on White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles for not shutting down protests that have been occurring outside a New Jersey immigration detention center since late May:

Meanwhile, Bovino is traveling like he’s already on the campaign trail.

He recently returned from Europe, where he headlined an international "Remigration Summit" in Portugal. At the event, he spoke to European and American far-right activists to advocate for mass deportations and to express alignment between U.S. and European right-wing movements.

What are your thoughts about the campaign to draft Bovino as a 2028 candidate for US President?

Share your opinion in a comment to this story!

Abrazos,

Jack Beavers

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Quick action by US Border Patrol Agents and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Highway Patrolmen saved the lives of 39 illegal aliens locked inside a trailer being hauled by human smugglers driving a semi truck, which burst into flames at the end of a harrowing chase in South Texas on Thursday, June 4, 2026.

This emergency began at 8:36 PM, when a K9 at the Encino Border Patrol Checkpoint on US Highway 287 in Brooks County took an interest in the trailer. When Border Patrol Agents directed the truck driver to an inspection area, he hit the gas and pulled away from the checkpoint instead.

Border Patrol vehicles pursued the truck north to Falfurrias, Texas, where the driver made a U-Turn back toward the Mexican border, at which time Texas DPS officers continued the pursuit.

The DPS officers deflated the truck’s tires, but the driver continued as sparks flew from the truck’s rims. Those sparks eventually caught the truck afire, forcing the driver to stop. As officers arrested the pair found inside the cab of the burning truck, other officers discovered the trailer was locked and realized people were inside.

Fortunately, they were able to open the locked trailer and rescue the 39 illegal aliens inside before the trailer was engulfed in flames.

Although this method of human smuggling is demonstrably dangerous, and sometimes deadly, there is no shortage of truck drivers willing to make these smuggling runs, or Mexican cartels willing to risk so many lives at once because it is so profitable.

This week, the Texas DPS reported that, for the second time in less than 10 days, their officers apprehended 20 illegal immigrants being concealed inside a truck tractor during an Operation Lone Star traffic stop in Webb County. That’s 40 illegal immigrants from just two traffic stops.

A few weeks earlier, Border Patrol Agents in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas busted another trucker hauling a “load” of 24 illegal aliens locked in a trailer being hauled north from the Texas Border with Mexico.

Are you surprised so many truckers are willing to risk arrest, and so many lives on these dangerous cartel human smuggling runs through South Texas?

Share your thoughts in the comments to this story!

Abrazos,

Jack Beavers

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The past 30 days have been costly for Mexican cartels whose smugglers attempted to return profits from their drug operations to them from Texas. Law enforcement officers in the Lone Star State seized $2,439,000 in cartel cash during a series of raids, traffic stops, and vehicle searches stretching from Houston all the way south to the Texas-Mexico border.

Here’s a rundown of those big busts:

HOUSTON: $1 Million +

On May 28, 2026, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced that its agents, along with officers from the Harris County Constable Precinct 2 Office, had seized “over a million dollars in bulk cash and assets, 18 firearms, and multiple pounds of synthetic marijuana” from a Houston home during a recent drug raid.

RIO GRANDE VALLEY: $570,000

On June 2, 2026, the US Border Patrol Rio Grande Valley Sector announced that its agents had seized $570,000 in cash before a “money mule” could smuggle it south of the border to return profits (likely from US drug sales) to one of the cartels.

LAREDO: $504,000

US Customs & Border Protection (CBP) stopped more than $500,000 in cartel cash from being smuggled back to Mexico during two separate seizures in Laredo last month.

On May 15, 2026, the CBP announced its agents had discovered more than $272,000 in cash hidden beneath the floorboards of a vehicle a smuggler was attempting to drive across an international bridge in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.

Three days later, the CBP announced its agents had seized another $272,000 in cartel cash hidden inside another vehicle a Mexican citizen was attempting to drive into Nuevo Laredo from Laredo, Texas.

KLEBERG COUNTY: $365,000

Also, last month, the Kleberg County-based South Texas Specialized Crimes and Narcotics Task Force seized $365,000 cash from two different cartel couriers during traffic stops of southbound vehicles on US Highway 77 about 125 miles north of the Texas-Mexico border.

On May 6, 2026, South Texas Task Force Agents found 10 vacuum-sealed, duct-taped bundles concealed within the rear seat and back wall of a vehicle containing $227,398 in cash. The driver (who was arrested) told officers he was headed from Houston to Matamoros, Mexico, when they first stopped him.

And on May 26, 2026, a South Texas Task Force K9 alerted a Task Force Special Agent to take a closer look at another southbound vehicle that had been pulled over for a traffic stop. That led to the discovery of two vacuum-sealed bundles containing $138,000 cash, along with approximately one pound of marijuana concealed inside a cooler.

Two men from Harlingen, Texas (one of them a confirmed Tango Blast/Valluco gang member currently on probation) were arrested.

If this is how much money Texas cops have seized in just 30 days, what do you think is the actual amount of cartel cash flowing into Mexico each month?

Share your thoughts in the comments to this story!

Abrazos,

Jack Beavers

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Six Chinese citizens were apprehended in Texas, north of the Rio Grande, by US Border Patrol Agents on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. They were among a group of twelve illegal aliens caught crossing a private ranch near the Mexican border.

Earlier that day, Border Patrol Agents, some on horseback, assisted by a DPS K9 chased and apprehended a half dozen more illegal aliens in Maverick County.

The day before, DPS Officers arrested a Cuban man attempting to smuggle six more illegal immigrants following a high-speed chase through that same Texas border county.

And, in case you are wondering, US Federal Authorities aren’t just encountering Chinese men trying to illegally enter the US in Texas.

Four days before the Border Patrol apprehended those six Chinese illegal aliens in Maverick County, the US Coast Guard arrested four Chinese men among a group of eight stowaways that also included illegal aliens from the Dominican Republic on a barge entering San Juan Harbor, Puerto Rico.

The U.S. Border Patrol apprehended approximately 3,900 Chinese citizens attempting to illegally enter the US during the last fiscal year. This represents a massive 75%-85% decline from peak volumes in the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years.

In 2024, the Border Patrol’s encounters of Chinese citizens who illegally entered the US reached 38,200 at the U.S.-Mexico border and 12,400 at the U.S.-Canada border.

Are you surprised by the number of Chinese citizens attempting to illegally enter the United States?

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Abrazos,

Jack Beavers

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(Note: this article has been updated to add the apprehension of an additional 36 migrants this week)

US authorities have apprehended 206 illegal aliens at sea off both US Coasts in recent weeks, while interrupting a half-dozen large-scale human smuggling attempts.

The largest of these occurred on May 9, 2026, when US Customs & Border Protection (CBP) intercepted a small boat dangerously overloaded with 64 illegal aliens off Puerto Rico.

When the man piloting the vessel refused to stop, CBP Officers disabled it by firing shots into its outboard motors.

Once the boat was dead in the water, those aboard surrendered without further resistance. CBP Officers determined that 58 were from the Dominican Republic and six were from Haiti. All aboard were arrested and transported to Mayaguez, where US Border Patrol Agents took custody of them for removal proceedings.

A week earlier, another human smuggling attempt off Puerto Rico came close to a deadly ending. A similar small boat overloaded with 42 illegal aliens was spotted approaching the hazardous and rocky shoreline of Aguadilla by Puerto Rican Police Officers.

Fearing an impending tragedy, the police officers requested urgent assistance, which prompted a response by US Coast Guard vessels and aircraft. US Border Patrol Agents also raced to the scene and determined that all aboard the boat made it ashore.

However, due to the difficult mountainous and rocky terrain, two migrants were unresponsive, another sustained a leg injury, and two others also required medical treatment. A Coast Guard helicopter crew quickly performed a successful Medevac rescue of a migrant found to be in serious condition, while Puerto Rican Emergency Medical Services Ambulance Crews transported the other injured migrants to hospitals by ground.

All of the illegal aliens, who were found to be 33 citizens of the Dominican Republic, eight Haitians, and one Ecuadorian, were taken into custody by the US Border Patrol.

A few days later, the CBP intercepted 25 migrants, all from the Bahamas, at sea east of Miami.

Human smugglers have also recently been caught attempting to land large groups on the US West Coast.

On May 1, 2026, the CBP reported the arrests of 29 illegal aliens from Mexico found aboard a “panga” intercepted in the Pacific Ocean near Long Beach, California. CBP Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport’s Strike Team and the CBP Air Marine Operations (AMO) Long Beach Marine Unit jointly participated in that mission.

And, on Friday, May 22, 2026, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Haddock interrupted an attempt to smuggle ten illegal aliens from Mexico aboard a 20-foot cabin cruiser 27 miles east of San Clemente Island. U.S. Border Patrol agents took custody of the group at Ballast Point, California.

Finally, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, the Coast Guard reported the apprehension of 36 suspected aliens aboard a 30-foot cuddy cabin vessel 22 miles offshore from San Diego, which was stopped and boarded by the crew of the cutter John McCormick. All aboard were found to be Mexican citizens.

Are you surprised by the number of large-scale human smuggling attempts at sea that US authorities have thwarted recently?

Share your thoughts in the comments to this story!

Abrazos,

Jack Beavers

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Authorities in Texas have racked up some large drug busts this month and late last month at the cartels’ expense. Here’s a look at some of the largest:

METHAMPHETAMINE BUSTS:

In South Texas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Pharr International Bridge took a closer look inside a semi-trailer full of produce that arrived at the US border from Reynosa, Mexico, on Saturday, May 16, 2026, and found that it was loaded with more than just heads of lettuce.

The shipment was used to hide 307 packages of methamphetamine weighing more than 1,644.64 pounds with a street value of almost $15 million.

A joint investigation by the Houston Police Department (HPD), Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) paid off in a big way on May 7, 2026.

It led to HPD discovering 396 kilos of methamphetamine hidden beneath the floor of a semi-truck trailer and the arrest of an armed suspect. Another 73 kilos of methamphetamine and cash were also found at the suspect’s residence.

Seven days later, those same four local and federal agencies reported another significant methamphetamine bust in Houston, when the arrest of a wanted person also resulted in the seizure of 38 kilos of meth, 7 handguns, and 1 rifle.

The cartel drug dealer’s elaborate cowboy hat-wearing “Santa Muerte” shrine failed to protect him this time.

COCAINE BUSTS:

The cartels’ cocaine smuggling operations have also taken some big hits in Texas this month.

May 1, 2026, was a cartel cocaine smuggler’s unlucky day at the Hidalgo International Bridge when a CBP K9 took an interest in the minivan he was driving. When the dog’s handler and other CBP officers searched the 48-year-old Mexican citizen’s vehicle, they learned he was attempting to bring more than 20 kilos of cocaine with a street value of more than $600 thousand into the country.

The drugs and the car were seized. The driver was placed under arrest.

Another cartel cocaine smuggler had a bad day just up the road from the McAllen-Hidalgo, Texas, International Bridge (this time at the hands of the US Border Patrol), three weeks later.

Agents found almost 19 kilos of cocaine in his vehicle when it was inspected at the Falfurrias checkpoint.

MARIJUANA BUSTS:

The Mexican cartels still move large amounts of marijuana into the U.S. - as evidenced by some recent busts in the Lone Star State.

The largest recent marijuana bust happened late last month in Starr County, Texas. A state trooper assigned to the Texas “Operation Lone Star” border security mission soon found himself in a high-speed chase while attempting a traffic stop just north of the Rio Grande.

When the truck he was chasing wrecked out, it became clear why the driver (who was arrested) tried to flee. Officers found 40 bundles of marijuana in the pick-up truck’s bed. The pot weighed in at 460 pounds, with a street value of $115,000.

US Border Patrol Agents assigned to far West Texas took down another notable load of marijuana earlier this month - and once again it was the sensitive nose of a checkpoint K9 that did the smuggler in. The dog showed an interest not just in the smuggler’s vehicle, but in two tires in the car’s trunk.

Sure enough, when agents took a closer look at those tires, they found 44 pounds of marijuana (valued at over $35,000).

Are you surprised by the different methods cartel smugglers try to conceal their drug loads?

Share your thoughts in the comments to this story!

Abrazos,

Jack Beavers

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A taste for forbidden foreign fruit can be costly, as one person arriving in Laredo, Texas, from Mexico found out this week. US Customs & Border Protection (CBP) Officers discovered the traveler was trying to smuggle a huge haul of Mexican fruit into the country, consisting of:

• 65 kilos of Mangos

• 45 kilos of Plums

• 3.2 kilos of Guamúchil Fruit

• 6 live plants

That resulted in a whopping $1,000 fine being assessed on the spot.

(And, if you are wondering what Guamúchil Fruit is, know that it is a seed pod containing tart & tangy pulp of a tree that grows in a majority of Mexican states.)

You should also know that Guamúchil, like almost all fresh, raw fruits and vegetables, cannot be brought into the USA from Mexico. They are strictly prohibited at US ports of entry to prevent the spread of invasive pests and agricultural diseases.

All travelers entering the United States are required to declare meats, fruits, vegetables, plants, seeds, soil, animals, as well as plant and animal products (including soup or soup products) they may be carrying. The declaration must cover all items carried in checked baggage, carry-on luggage, or in a vehicle.

Those who try to circumvent this policy must run the gauntlet posed by the CBP’s beagle brigade (and the beagles are VERY good at their jobs). Take the photo of CBP K9 “Ears” below, who sniffed out yet more forbidden fruit arriving from Mexico earlier this month, this time at the International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The dog alerted CBP Officers to check the luggage of a passenger arriving from Mexico City. When they did, they found undeclared pork, nance, cacti, and wood, resulting in a $300 fine against another traveler.

In Chicago, CBP K9 “Thena” (shown below) alerted to another piece of luggage arriving from Mexico.

When CBP officers looked inside, they found undeclared madras thorn, passion fruit, mamey, plums, mangoes, coriander, & pork ham sandwiches.

Meanwhile, in Atlanta, it was K9 “Oliver” (pictured below) that tripped up a traveler attempting to smuggle undeclared raw fruit from Guatemala into the US.

Inside the arriving passenger’s luggage, CBP officers found raw, undeclared Guatemalan mangoes and mombins.

Would-be smugglers of forbidden food have more than just the CBP’s capable K9’s to contend with. On May 9, 2026, a technician x-raying luggage from International flights arriving at Chicago O’Hare summoned CBP Officers after spotting something that definitely didn’t belong in a suitcase: bones!

Inside the luggage arriving from Amsterdam, CBP officers were surprised to find almost 3 kilos of African “bushmeat,” which consisted of grasscutter (a large rodent) & fish.

The passenger, it turns out, originally checked the luggage in Ghana before connecting in Amsterdam and flying on to Atlanta. It also turns out this passenger actually declared what was inside the luggage (not realizing it was prohibited).

The bushmeat was seized and destroyed. The arriving passenger was sent on his way.

Are you surprised by the forbidden food some travelers attempt to bring into the US?

Share your thoughts in the comments to this story!

Abrazos,

Jack Beavers

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Mexican Federal Police Officers assigned to guard the US Consulate in Matamoros (which is across the Rio Grande from Brownsville) were ambushed away from that building on Sunday, May 17, 2016. One officer was killed. One other was wounded.

The officers were reportedly lured to the ambush spot by a vehicle they were pursuing. The reason for the pursuit is a bit murky, though some Mexican media reports indicate the driver of that vehicle may have deliberately struck their truck, then fled to prompt them to initiate the chase.

Mexican authorities aren’t releasing much information about the ambush or the investigation. The Gulf Cartel (CDG) is widely understood to control most criminal activity in Matamoros, but has not claimed credit for the fatal ambush.

Matamoros Consul General Mary Virginia Hantsch issued a statement in Spanish stating that the US government was “deeply saddened” over the death of the officer who provided security to the consulate.

“Our hearts go out to his family, friends, and colleagues,” she said.

The US State Department has issued a “Do Not Travel” advisory for US residents to Tamaulipas (the state where Matamoros is located) due to terrorism, crime, and kidnapping.

It has also issued the following restrictions to the consulate staff in Matamoros:

• Travel for U.S. government employees is limited to the following areas in Matamoros, including the neighborhoods of Jardin and Rio, and the area of the city as defined by:

  • The Rio Grande River to the north

  • Avenida de Las Americas from the Brownsville and Matamoros Bridge south to Calle Hidalgo and west to Calle Diez

  • Diagonal Cuauhtemoc east to Avenida Canales continuing east to Calle Primera

  • Avenida Lauro Villar from Calle Primera east to Calle Republica de Cuba

  • Calle Republica de Cuba from Avenida Lauro Villar north to Avenida Tamaulipas

  • Other permitted areas in Matamoros include the shops and restaurants along any of these routes: Calle Sexta to the Holiday Inn, Plaza Fiesta, the Soriana Market at Calle Primera and Avenida Canales, the Soriana Market at Veteran’s Bridge via Avenida Lauro Villa or Avenida Division del Norte, and the HEB on Avenida Lauro Villar

• An armored vehicle is required for all travel to and from the Matamoros Airport and all travel to Reynosa.

• U.S. government employees have a curfew of midnight to 6am in Matamoros.

Are you concerned about the security of the US Consulate in Matamoros following the ambush of Mexican officers assigned to guard it?

Share your thoughts in the comments to this story!

Abrazos,

Jack Beavers

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Cartel smugglers trying to move drugs across the Caribbean have had a bad month at the hands of the US Coast Guard & US Navy. They’ve seized $65.4 million worth of dope in two large recent busts.

The largest load of intercepted drugs - 8,185 Ibs of cocaine worth more than $61.6 million - was unloaded under heavy guard by the crew of the US Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma Thursday at Port Everglades, Florida.

This seizure occurred after the crew of the Tahoma intercepted three cartel smuggling vessels on May 8, 2026, in the Caribbean, 90 miles off Cartagena, Colombia.

Two of the boats followed Coast Guard commands to stop and be boarded, but the third unwisely tried to make a run for it.

A Coast Guard gunner aboard a helicopter fired warning shots across the vessel’s bow, and then shot out its outboard motors when it failed to yield. No one aboard the boat was injured during the confrontation.

The second drug seizure took place days earlier in the Caribbean off Mole Saint-Nicolas, Haiti. The Coast Guard Cutter Venturous and a Navy helicopter from the USS Billings intercepted a smuggling boat carrying 3,200 pounds of marijuana worth $3.8 million.

The smuggler, who was found to be a Haitian citizen, as well as his drug load, was turned over to Haitian authorities, as the seizure had occurred in Haitian waters with the consent of that country’s government.

Are you surprised that some smugglers try to outrun the Coast Guard despite shots being fired across their bow?

Share your thoughts in the comments to this story!

Abrazos,

Jack Beavers

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A shake-up that began with the Departure of Department of Homeland Security Chief Kristi Noem (who was replaced by Markwayne Mullin) on March 24, 2026, is continuing.

On the same day that Noem was replaced, Border Patrol “Commander at Large” Gregory Bovino - who had overseen operations in Minneapolis that resulted in the shooting deaths of two protestors -announced his retirement.

Three weeks later, ICE Director Todd Lyons announced his departure effective May 31, 2026.

Today, US Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks announced his immediate retirement, sixteen months after assuming the position at the beginning of President Trump’s second term in office.

Banks announced his immediate departure in an email:

“After over 37 years in public service to the people of the United States of America, it is time for me to retire and return home to Texas to focus on my family and ranch.” -US Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks

Banks served as “Texas Border Czar” under Governor Greg Abbott during “Operation Lone Star,” prior to rejoining the Border Patrol last year.

US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott noted that Chief Banks took over as head of the Border Patrol “during one of the most challenging periods for border security.”

“During his time as Chief, the border was transformed from chaos to the most secure border ever recorded. We wish him and his family well.” -CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott

What do you think of the leadership shake-ups within the Department of Homeland Security agencies?

Share your thoughts in the comments to this story!

Abrazos,

Jack Beavers

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Why should you subscribe to US Border News?

We provide unique perspectives on US immigration & border security news that other media do not.

Our earliest subscribers know that this publication resulted from daily coverage by Jack Beavers of US Southern Border News on the Newsbreak mobile app, at the height of the disorder there five years ago, when migrant mobs were overwhelming federal law enforcement officers there.

We still publish some stories on Newsbreak.com, but US Border News is now our exclusive home on the Substack platform, featuring comprehensive, analytical news stories (plus our exclusive weekly US Border News Newsletter) you won’t get anywhere else.

So, what is unique about our coverage?

Let’s unpack that by looking at stories published during just the last month :

Our coverage this week about the six dead illegal aliens found inside a railcar in Laredo quickly pivoted from reporting “just the facts” (as most media outlets did) to a historical perspective on similar tragedies along the border, and cited recent social media posts by local and federal border authorities that indicated the likelihood of something like this happening was looming large.

That’s reporting you won’t get anywhere else - and it’s not a “one-off.”

Last month, we reported that the US Border Patrol was transferring a large number of agents from around the country to the Laredo, Texas sector (where the most recent rail disaster occurred) in response to a surge in cartel human smuggling activity there.

A few days earlier, we pointed out that the tactics the US Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) is employing during the Trump Administration had first been used by Maricopa Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona 20 years prior.

We’ve also published analysis from multiple independent agencies concluding US attacks on suspected “narco-boats” have disrupted - but not destroyed Caribbean drug-smuggling routes from Central and South America to the US and Europe.

And, we’ve also recently reported that many migrants who were released into the country during the immigration surge that began in 2021 and peaked in 2023, when Republican states transported them to Democratic cities, are back working in the very states that expelled them.

These US Border News stories go well beyond “what” is happening along the border to “why” they are occurring (which many news organizations do not explain).

US Border News brings you exclusive reporting and insights that many other news organizations do not.

We point this out not to criticize our competitors, but to emphasize the value of a (free!) subscription to US Border News.

If you have any suggestions about how we can improve our coverage, please leave them in the comments on this article.

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Jack Beavers

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The bodies of six people, believed to be from Mexico and Honduras, were discovered Sunday in a railcar that arrived in Laredo, Texas. Webb County Medical Examiner Dr. Corinne Stern told Laredo's KGNS-TV that an autopsy of the lone woman among the group showed that she died of hyperthermia (heat stroke). Autopsies had not been completed on the five men at the time she spoke to KGNS, but it is suspected they died of similar causes.

The high temperature in Laredo was 90 degrees on Sunday, and temperatures inside a closed metal railcar can exceed 100 degrees under those conditions.

RELATED STORY: Border Patrol Answers Cartel Human Smuggling Surge

Hundreds of agents head to Laredo

This is a tragedy that law enforcement officers and first responders have seen in this part of Texas before.

Three years ago, an illegal alien dialed 911 requesting medical aid for fifteen people in distress aboard a freight train north of Laredo. Border Patrol Agents who stopped the train had to cut their way into a locked shipping container to reach the group. Two were already dead, and five were in critical condition.

Despite the dangers, cartel human smugglers regularly lock groups of people into northbound railcars, without water or regard for their safety.

In 2024, Laredo Sector Border Patrol Agents discovered 23 illegal aliens locked inside northbound railcars in Cotulla, Texas. Once again, the group had no way to escape. Fortunately, none of them were found to need medical treatment after the officers cut their way inside and freed them.

Incredibly, just three days later, Cotulla Border Patrol Agents found another 20 illegal aliens locked aboard another northbound Union Pacific Train. Thankfully, none needed emergency medical assistance and were taken into custody.

Authorities along the Southwest Border with Mexico have been fearing a deadly tragedy like the one that just occurred in Laredo for several days now due to recent warning signs that something like this was overdue to occur.

Border Patrol Agents have had to go into “rescue” mode more often as temperatures rose across extremely remote, rugged, and unforgiving terrain.

Recent calls for help have occurred in areas such as the Big Bend National Park where a Border Patrol Paramedic aboard a helicopter performed life-saving treatment to evacuate a hiker overcome by extreme heat.

US Customs and Border Protection Officers in Arizona report similar stories:

Air Crews and Paramedics from the Tucson and Yuma Sectors have been responding to a growing number of 911 calls to rescue hikers in trouble in dangerously hot conditions there in recent days.

Then there are the 911 calls to assist illegal aliens in trouble as temperatures rise and Spring heads toward Summer:

Last week, three men from Guerrero, Mexico, who illegally crossed into Terrell County, Texas, found themselves in distress due to the rugged landscape and extreme heat, and dialed “911”.

A Sheriff’s deputy eventually located them about 50 miles north of the border and determined they were not in medical distress before turning them over to Border Patrol Agents.

The photo above shows how little shade is available along this part of the border. Anyone on foot there, without water, in full sun on a hot day, who is unfamiliar with the area can quickly find themselves in a life-threatening situation.

And, even paying a cartel “smuggling guide” who knows the area thousands of dollars is no guarantee of safety.

The photos above show Border Patrol medics treating an illegal alien who was abandoned in the Arizona desert last week by his “smuggling guide.”

The cartel human smuggling guides are known to be ruthless, and those who can’t keep up with them are often left to fend for themselves without water or shelter.

But even seasoned Border Patrol Agents can be shocked at how little they value human lives:

The photo above shows Border Patrol paramedics tending to a nine-year-old girl found alone recently and suffering from exposure to the elements.

When she could not keep up with her group, her "guide" left the child behind.

Fortunately, agents found her in time to provide life-saving treatment.

Are you surprised to learn that cartel human smugglers are abandoning children to the elements or locking adults in railcars in which temperatures exceed 100 degrees?

Share your thoughts in the comments to this story!

Abrazos,

Jack Beavers

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UPDATE: Wednesday night, May 6, 2026, the City of Grand Prairie issued the following statement to the media: “After further review and in the best interest of the City of Grand Prairie, the June 1 Eid event at Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark has been canceled.”

The city followed up by posting that statement through social media on Thursday, May 7, 2026. Their reversal caught the organizer off guard (more on that deeper in this article).

(What follows is our original report explaining the controversy):

A private pool party at a publicly-owned waterpark to celebrate the Muslim holiday of Eid has led the Texas Governor’s Office to threaten to claw back more than half a million dollars in state grants to the City of Grand Prairie unless it is canceled.

Although this same private event, “DFW Epic Eid at Epic Waterpark,” has been held in years past without much controversy, a flyer for this year’s event advertising it as “Closed to the Public-Muslims Only” went viral on social media, drawing the ire of Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

Despite the Governor’s threat to pull $530,000 in state grants unless the city cancels the event and “commit(s) to never allowing something like it again,” Grand Prairie does not appear inclined to fulfill the Governor’s demands.

The city responded with a statement noting that “DFW Epic Eid at Epic Waterpark” is a private event and that “like other City-owned facilities, it is available for rental by individuals and organizations.”

Event organizer, Dr. Aminah Knight, issued a statement that “In response to feedback, we have updated our materials to clearly reflect that this is a modest dress-only event, centered around a respectful and family-friendly environment. So if you are a friend of a different faith who wants to celebrate the Eid holiday with us, and adhere to the modest dress code … this event is FOR YOU TOO!”

The flyer no longer refers to DFW Epic Eid as “For Muslims Only” and now includes a statement reading “Come and celebrate Eid with us! All are welcome.”

The demand letter that the Governor’s office sent to the City of Grand Prairie notes the changes to the flyer, and is not satisfied by them, saying: “This event purports to be public-facing and discriminatory at the same time.”

The demand letter from the Governor’s Office notes that the pool party’s website states that “Attendees of all ages are expected to dress in accordance with Islamic values” and includes pictures of “burkinis” for women and long shorts and modest T-shirts for men.

Event organizer Dr. Aminah Knight told Dallas television station KXAS that because of “some online statements, there will be extra security on the day of the event.”

UPDATE:

However, as noted above, the City of Grand Prairie capitulated to the Governor’s demand and canceled the event late Wednesday night, May 6, 2026.

Dr. Knight issued the following statement then to Dallas television station WFAA:

"I’m sad. I’m sad that something that was being done with such good intention, just for joy, has been turned into something that it’s not," she said. "God knows I was just trying to plan something for my community within my community just like I did last year – why it turned into this, I don’t know."

On Thursday, May 7, 2026, Dr. Knight posted a lengthy message about the event cancellation online, including the fact that she learned of the city’s about-face through media reports late Wednesday, and was not officially notified that her event had been canceled until the City of Grand Prairie sent her an email the next day:

Do you support Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s demand that the City of Grand Prairie cancel the “DFW Epic Eid” event?

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Jack Beavers

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The US Coast Guard recently offloaded more than $72 million in cocaine in Miami Beach and Port Everglades, Florida, that crews aboard its cutters and a US Navy Littoral Combat Ship seized after intercepting five drug smuggling boats during patrols of both the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific Oceans.

On Monday, April 27, 2026, Coast Guardsmen assigned to the Portsmouth, Virginia-based Cutter Escanaba offloaded approximately 7,050 pounds of cocaine worth more than $53 million at Port Everglades, Florida. The contraband resulted from the interdictions of cartel drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

On Thursday, April 23, 2026, the crew of the St. Petersburg, Florida-based Coast Guard Cutter Resolute brought 2,570 pounds of cocaine ashore worth more than $19.3 million and transferred six suspected drug smugglers to federal authorities at Base Miami Beach.

The seized drugs resulted from three drug boats intercepted in the Caribbean Sea by the crews of the Newport, Rhode Island-based Cutter Tahoma and the Naval Station Mayport, Florida-based USS Billings.

Meanwhile, the US military is also continuing to attack and sink other cartel smuggling boats encountered during anti-drug patrols.

On Friday, April 24, 2026, two suspected smugglers were killed while piloting a small boat in a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific after the US Southern Command determined they were engaged in narcotics smuggling there.

Should the US continue to use deadly force against suspected drug smugglers at sea?

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Jack Beavers

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The Governor of the Mexican State of Sinaloa and nine other current and former Mexican Officials have been charged by U.S. Federal Authorities in New York for allegedly conspiring with leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel to import large amounts of drugs into the United States in exchange for political support and bribes.

Sinaloan Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and the other defendants “have been most closely aligned with the faction of the Cartel run by the sons of Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera, a/k/a “El Chapo,” the Cartel’s notorious former leader, who are themselves known collectively as the “Chapitos,” according to a US Justice Department news release issued on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.

“The Sinaloa Cartel, and other drug trafficking organizations like it, would not operate as freely or successfully without corrupt politicians and law enforcement officials on their payroll. The support of corrupt foreign officials for deadly trafficking of drugs must end. Let these charges send a clear message to all officials around the globe who work with narco-traffickers: no matter your title or position, we are committed to bringing you to justice.” - U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton

Governor Rocha Moya took to x.com to declare his innocence as well as to call the charges against him “slander” and a “perverse strategy” to undermine Mexico’s national sovereignty:

The US Ambassador to Mexico tried to tamp down suggestions that the US charges against the Governor and other Mexican officials might damage relations between the countries by issuing a statement declaring that “corruption that enables organized crime … harms both our countries.”

Other current Mexican officials named in the indictment alongside the Governor of Sinaloa include a Mexican Senator from Sinaloa, the Deputy Attorney General for the Sinaloa State Attorney General’s Office, and the Mayor of Culiacán (the State Capital of Sinaloa).

“The Sinaloa Cartel is not just trafficking deadly drugs; it is a designated terrorist organization that relies on corruption and bribery to drive violence and profit.” - DEA Administrator Terrance Cole.

Others charged include former high-level law enforcement officers of Sinaloa and Culiacán. An ex-commander in the Culiacán Municipal Police has also been charged in the kidnappings of a DEA source and the source’s relatives (one of them a 13-year-old boy) that resulted in their deaths.

Do you think these indictments will damage US-Mexican government relations?

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The US Border Patrol is “surging” a large number of agents to its Laredo, Texas sector in response to a recent surge in cartel human smuggling activity there. Both NewsNation and The Daily Wire are reporting the surge will consist of “at least 200 agents,” with The Daily Wire’s Jennie Taer reporting the agents “are being pulled for 30-day volunteer duties to support colleagues in Laredo, Texas, who are trying to address a surge in “gotaways,” while NewsNation’s Ali Bradley reports her “sources say it’s because it is the busiest sector right now.”

“Everyone from across the country is getting sent there,” one Border Patrol source told The Daily Wire.

Here’s a look at what Laredo Sector agents have encountered in recent days:

CBP Agents intercepted almost two dozen illegal aliens packed inside the sleeper compartment of the cab of a truck crossing into Texas.

CBP agents and Laredo PD Officers stopped the human smuggler on Interstate 35 and discovered 22 illegal aliens:

• 19 from Mexico

• 1 from Guatemala

• 2 unaccompanied minors from Mexico.

The driver, a U.S. citizen, is facing alien smuggling charges.

Also, in recent days, Laredo Border Patrol Agents found ten illegal aliens crammed inside the cab of yet another semi-truck driven by a human smuggler attempting to drive through one of their checkpoints:

• One 13-year-old was locked in a closet compartment of a semi.

• A pregnant woman was hidden in the back of the sleeper.

• Eight other illegal aliens were hiding under mattresses and in compartments.

And, in yet another unsuccessful attempt to smuggle illegal aliens through a Laredo checkpoint, a K9 alerted his Border Patrol handler that something was suspicious about a box truck a driver told them was loaded with “car parts.

Using bold cutters to break into the cargo compartment, instead of “parts,” agents found seven illegal aliens hiding behind a mattress. They were deported back to Mexico.

The driver, a U.S. citizen and previously convicted felon, faces alien smuggling charges.

Elsewhere in Laredo, Border Patrol Agents also recently busted a “stash house,” where they discovered 17 aliens recently brought across the border by one of the cartels awaiting transportation deeper into the state, consisting of:

• 13 Mexican nationals

• 2 Mexican juveniles

• 1 Nicaraguan

• 1 Salvadoran

  Do you think a “surge” of US Border Patrol Agents will stem this cartel human smuggling surge in Laredo?

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  Jack Beavers

  

  

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U.S. government employees have been ordered to avoid the greater Reynosa, Mexico area, and U.S. citizens are advised by the U.S. Consulate in Matamoros not to cross over from Texas into Reynosa across from McAllen, Texas, because a wave of cartel violence sparked by the arrest of a local cartel leader on Monday, April 27, 2026.

“U.S. Consulate Matamoros has received reports of violent criminal activity, including roadblocks in Reynosa,” a US State Department statement said.

Businesses were set afire, and stolen trucks blocked area highways in response to the arrest of a man known locally as “El Metro 9,” the leader of the "Los Metros" faction of the Gulf Cartel (CDG).

This latest warning against travel to Reynosa follows a “Level 4 - Do Not Travel” advisory that has been issued for some time to U.S. residents by the State Department for the entire state of Tamaulipas “due to terrorism, crime, and kidnapping.”

The State Department advises US residents to:

• Avoid the greater Reynosa area

• Maintain a high level of vigilance and keep a low profile

• Monitor local media for updates

• Be aware of your surroundings

• Notify friends and family of your safety

• Review your personal security plans and follow the instructions of local authorities

• Call 911 if you need emergency assistance

Who to contact if you need assistance:

• Contact Form

• From Mexico: 55 8526 2561

• From the United States: +1-844-528-6611

• Department of State – Consular Affairs: +1-888-407-4747 or +1-201-501-4444

How concerned are you about cartel violence across the border from Texas or the dangers of traveling into Mexico?

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Coast Guard crews and Federal Agents have been kept busy this month by human smugglers determined to bring illegal aliens to America’s shores. On Sunday, April 19, 2026, the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos intercepted a dangerously overloaded small boat off the coast of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, with 21 illegal aliens aboard.

18 men and two women claimed to be from the Dominican Republic, while two men aboard said they were Haitians. One other person was found to have an active Puerto Rico Police arrest warrant and was taken into custody.

The illegal aliens were transferred to a Dominican Republic Navy vessel on Monday, April 20, 2026.

But the Coast Guard and Federal Officers have been even busier cracking down on Human Smuggling off the California Coast. On Monday, April 20, 2026, the Coast Guard Cutter Terrell Horne stopped a cabin cruiser off San Clemente Island with 18 illegal aliens, all from Mexico, aboard.

On April 18, 2026, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Florence Finch intercepted a small “panga” boat Southwest of Point Loma Near San Nicolas Island, overloaded with 29 illegal aliens, all from Mexico, aboard.

On Friday, April 17, 2026, Federal Agents aboard US Customs & Border Protection “Coastal Interceptor Vessels” converged on yet another suspicious boat near San Clemente Island. Their suspicions were confirmed when the “fishing party” aboard the boat was found to be 13 illegal aliens instead: 7 adult males, 5 adult females, and 1 accompanied juvenile female.

On Thursday, April 9, 2026, the Coast Guard Cutter Narwhal intercepted a boat near Point Loma, California, that watchstanders at the Joint Harbor Operations Center in San Diego had identified as suspicious, and found three illegal aliens (all from Mexico) aboard.

The Daily Caller, citing US Customs & Border Protection sources, reports that some of the aliens caught trying to illegally enter California this month “had rap sheets that included DUI, felony hit-and-run, making false police reports, drug possession, active warrants for resisting arrest, trespassing, burglary, possession of burglary tools, receiving stolen property, drug trafficking, aggravated assault with a weapon, and domestic violence.”

In response to all of this human smuggling activity, the US government is deploying surveillance buoy powered by artificial intelligence, like the one pictured above, in waters along the US border with Mexico off the California coast.

These “PowerBouys” (outfitted with solar panels and wind generators) contain cameras and other surveillance devices to alert the Coast Guard and Customs & Border Protection to human smuggling boats approaching and entering US waters.

UPDATE: The installation of the first “PowerBuoy” surveillance platform near San Diego has not (yet) deterred cartel human smugglers. On Monday, April 27, 2026, the Coast Guard reported apprehending five more illegal aliens aboard a 45-foot sailing boat at the entrance to San Diego Bay.

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Jack Beavers

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Luis Miguel Garduño, who, as recently as late 2025, served as a Director of Public Services in the Mexican City of Matamoros (across the Rio Grande from Brownsville), was arrested on Easter Sunday (April 5, 2026), while attempting to smuggle almost 11 kilos of cocaine through a South Texas Border Patrol Checkpoint.

After a Border Patrol dog alerted agents at the Javier Vega, Jr. Checkpoint on US Highway 77 in Sarita, Texas, a search of the SUV he was driving revealed a hidden compartment beneath the third row of seats.

Inside, agents found ten bundles containing 10.92 kilograms of cocaine.

According to a criminal complaint, Garduño told Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Agents that “he was directed to do the trip because of a debt that he owes (and when) asked if he knew what was in the vehicle … he advised that he believes it was drugs, but did not know what type.”

Garduño is facing federal charges of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

The case is raising eyebrows because of an arrest involving another Mexican official from the same area last year. On May 2, 2025, US Customs & Border Protection (CBP) officers stopped a Mexican couple attempting to drive across the Brownsville-Matamoros International Bridge into Mexico for a random search.

The Mexico City newspaper "El Universal" identified the woman involved in the case as an employee of the Attorney General's Office of the Mexican State of Tamaulipas.

The CBP Officers found bundles of US dollars (totaling $148,610) hidden inside the couple’s car. The driver was found to be carrying another $5,485 in cash. Officers found the woman was carrying even more money: $30,000 - again, all cash.

(It is a federal offense not to declare currency totaling $10,000 or more to a CBP officer upon entry or exit from the U.S. or to conceal it with intent to evade reporting requirements. Failure to declare may result in seizure of the currency and/or arrest. An individual may petition for the return of currency seized by CBP officers, but the petitioner must prove that the source and intended use of the currency were legitimate.)

In all, US Federal Agents seized $184,095.

Meanwhile, the ex-Matamoros city official arrested for smuggling cocaine earlier this month remains jailed in Corpus Christi awaiting trial.

How large a problem is cartel corruption of government officials along the Mexican border?

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Jack Beavers

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Some of the Trump administration’s controversial new warehouse immigration detention centers are getting scaled back and postponed as states and cities fight back, and new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin reviews actions taken by his ousted predecessor, Kristi Noem.

Some states and cities have seen more communication and compromise as Mullin takes over, and the Department of Homeland Security faces a continued funding shutdown that has reached 60 days.

That includes discussions about a proposed Arizona detention center, where DHS agreed to scale back the number of prisoners by two-thirds and pay a city for lost tax revenue, and a proposed center in Maryland with a similar offer from the department. A lawsuit is also holding up work on that detention center. And in Georgia, a small city cut off the water supply to a proposed immigrant holding site.

A plan to house up to 1,500 immigrants in Surprise, Arizona, starting as soon as May, was scaled back to 542 detainees starting in October at the earliest, and DHS agreed to pay the city $300,000 a year for lost property taxes. The department may also offer more to help cover any police costs after negotiations with DHS under Mullin.

“With the new leadership, there’s been a lot of communication,” Surprise Mayor Kevin Sartor told a local radio show April 15, a contrast to the “very frustrating” experience of how the city learned from news reports in January that DHS had purchased a 418,000-square-foot distribution center for $70 million.

“We do have a different leadership style,” Mullin said in a CNBC interview April 16, comparing himself to Noem. “We want to make sure people understand that we’re here working for the people, not against you.”

In Maryland, the new DHS administration has also offered a scale-back from 1,500 detainees to 542, in a Williamsport warehouse bought for $102 million in January. An April 15 court order keeps most work at the center paused as the state continues a lawsuit claiming “impacts on the environmental, economic, and public health and safety interests of the state.”

In Arizona, dozens of Democratic state lawmakers sent a letter in April asking the city of Surprise to “stop the facility from opening at all costs,” but Mayor Sartor has said he doesn’t see a legal basis for a lawsuit. The mayor’s office is nonpartisan, but Republicans predominate among registered voters in the city by almost 2-1 over Democrats.

Communities across the country are facing the results of a massive detention expansion fueled in large part by the record $45 billion approved for increased immigration detention by Congress last summer.

Other state and local action on the plan to repurpose warehouses for detention centers includes a Kansas City, Missouri, ban on nonmunicipal detention facilities passed in January, and developers halted the sale of a south Kansas City warehouse in February.

The owners of an Indiana warehouse sent a letter stating they weren’t in active negotiations for the site, which had been reported as a potential detention center and had drawn local opposition from the town of Merrillville. Democratic lawmakers in Florida opposed plans for a warehouse detention center near Orlando in February, while some Republican lawmakers supported it.

In Georgia, the city of Social Circle cut off water and sewer service for a $128.6 million warehouse proposed to hold 10,000 detainees, saying the town of 5,000 people lacked the capacity to serve it.

“The city’s infrastructure cannot accommodate this level of demand,” according to a February statement from the city, despite a “certainly creative” solution suggested by DHS to fill a water-supply cistern at times of low demand.

Stateline reporter Tim Henderson can be reached at thenderson@stateline.org.

Do you support the conversion of warehouses into “immigration detention facilities”?

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