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Two migrant men's remains found in Rio Grande Valley, source says
By Bill Melugin, Paul Best
Published July 23, 2021
The remains of two migrant men were recently recovered from a swampy area just south of Penitas, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley, a law enforcement source tells Fox News.
The causes of death for the two men, who were both foreign nationals, were not immediately known.
The Rio Grande Valley sees more than 2,000 apprehensions of migrants a day, making it one of the most popular areas where migrants try to cross into the U.S. illegally.
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There has been a migrant surge so far in 2021, with 188,829 migrant encounters at the southern border reported in June by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), nearly double the 104,311 number encountered in the same month in 2019. Only 33,049 migrants were encountered in June of last year at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic.
Migration numbers have historically dipped in the summer months due to the heat, but CBP is currently still seeing surging numbers.
"We are in the hottest part of the summer, and we are seeing a high number of distress calls to CBP from migrants abandoned in treacherous terrain by smugglers with no regard for human life," CBP acting Commissioner Troy Miller said in a statement last week.
"Although CBP does everything it can to locate and rescue individuals who are lost or distressed, the bottom line is this: The terrain along the border is extreme, the summer heat is severe, and the miles of desert migrants must hike after crossing the border in many areas are unforgiving," Miller said.
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The increased numbers are partly due to an order put in place by the Trump administration that allows the government to rapidly expel most migrants, leading to many of them being encountered multiple times.
The Biden administration is considering rescinding those powers, known as Title 42, as soon as the end of this month, Axios reported.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/migrant-remains-rio-grande-valley-texas