U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials held a press conference at the Bridge of the Americas port of entry in El Paso, highlighting fiscal year 2026 border security achievements including increased narcotics seizures and decreased illegal border crossings.
Efren GonzalezCBP Air and Marine Operations El Paso Director
The facts
El Paso Sector averaged less than 50 encounters per day in FY 2026, down from 2,700 per day in FY 2023.1
El Paso Sector recorded less than 20,000 apprehensions in FY 2026, compared with more than 420,000 in FY 2023.1
CBP officers seized two to three times more narcotics in some categories in FY 2026 compared to the prior year.1
Border Patrol has not released any illegal aliens into the interior in the last 17 months.1
El Patrol Air Branch's El Paso operations resulted in more than 2,000 apprehensions, 10 arrests, and nine rescues in FY 2026.1
El Paso Air Branch increased total narcotics seizures by more than 700 percent.1
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
Chief Patrol Agent Jesse Munoz Increased border security measures and more manpower have resulted in a dramatic decrease in illegal border crossings.1
Chief Patrol Agent Jesse Munoz We are seeing the most secure border in the history of our nation.1
Director Ray Provencio CBP officers are taking a whole-of-government approach to dismantle illegal activities of drug cartels and criminal organizations.1
How they headlined it
The same event, as each outlet put it. Marked words appear in only one outlet's headline.
CBP Highlights End-of-Year Border Security Successes in El Paso
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
An early morning crash occurred between ICE agents and a truck driver in Northwest Harris County. Luis Eduardo Villanueva Loredo was taken into custody after fleeing on foot. Family and federal accounts differ on how the crash started.
Luis Eduardo Villanueva Loredo, Truck driver involved in crash with ICE agents; Patricia Hernandez, Sister-in-law of Villanueva Loredo, relayed his account; ICE, Federal immigration enforcement agents pursuing vehicle and 2 more
San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones sent letters to the U.S. Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security seeking protections for military family members applying for citizenship through the military parole in place program. The action follows the detention of a military spouse at a naval base in Corpus Christi in September.
Gina Ortiz Jones, San Antonio Mayor; Pete Hegseth, U.S. Department of Defense Secretary; Markwayne Mullin, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary and 6 more
Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott defended plans to build border infrastructure in Texas' Big Bend region in an exclusive interview, despite a court-ordered pause on construction and opposition from landowners, businesses, and environmentalists.
$$46 billion for border wall and infrastructure project funding
Rodney Scott, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner; Donald Trump, President; Customs and Border Protection, agency executing border wall plan and 1 more
A newly-launched nonprofit called Let Texans Do Texas proposed creating a $2 billion border security fund for the Big Bend region as an alternative to the Trump administration's border wall plans. The group, whose board includes former Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and Democratic Presidio County Commissioner candidate Susan Hays, plans to send the proposal to Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas U.S. House members.
$$2 billion for proposed border security fund
Let Texans Do Texas, newly-launched advocacy group proposing alternative border security funding; Jerry Patterson, former Texas Land Commissioner and LTDT board member; Susan Hays, Democratic candidate for Presidio County Commissioner and LTDT board member and 1 more
A migrant caravan left Mexico's southern border with Guatemala, with members from Central America and other nations heading toward Mexico. Some migrants said they hope a Democratic midterm election victory would mean a less secure U.S. border.
Julio Rosas, independent journalist who spoke with caravan members; Caravan Without Borders, migrant group
Emiliano Andrade-Covarrubias, a 56-year-old lawful permanent resident from Dallas, died at the Rio Grande Processing Center in Laredo after being found unresponsive in his bed. The cause of death is unknown pending an autopsy.
Emiliano Andrade-Covarrubias, deceased detainee, green card holder, Dallas resident; Estefani Andrade, daughter of Emiliano Andrade-Covarrubias; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, federal agency operating the detention facility and 2 more
Federal agencies have implemented a temporary flight restriction (TFR) for drone operators along the U.S.-Mexico border, effective through October 2027, citing Mexican cartel drone incursions and risks to border security operations.
Department of Transportation, Federal agency implementing restriction; Department of Defense, Federal agency implementing restriction; Department of Homeland Security, Federal agency implementing restriction and 2 more
Emiliano Andrade-Covarrubias, 56, a lawful permanent resident from Dallas, died Saturday while in custody at the Rio Grande Processing Center in Laredo. He had been detained by ICE since June. The cause of death is pending autopsy results.
Emiliano Andrade-Covarrubias, 56-year-old man who died in ICE custody; Estefani Andrade, Daughter of Emiliano Andrade-Covarrubias; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Agency that detained him and 1 more