EL PASO, Texas (NewsNation) — NewsNation got a behind-the-scenes look at deterrence efforts along the U.S.-Mexico border as illegal crossings continue to plummet during the Trump administration.
Our cameras were rolling when two smuggling crews attempted to breach U.S. barriers with ladders. Video shows the smugglers stashing the ladder before one of the groups retreats.
Illegal crossings in the El Paso area are down to about 60 per day after once topping 2,700 per day. The Border Patrol says migrants are turning back on their own because of deterrence efforts on the U.S. side.
It also means the cartels aren’t making the money they once did.
Air interdiction agent Taylor Herring told NewsNation that the cartels are down but certainly not out for the count.
“The threat of violence is always in the back of your mind,” he said. “But by maintaining a constant presence out here, you can pick up on those little changes and those little cues that could maybe keep you informed.”
Border Patrol agent Orlando Marrero Rubio said the job is just about upholding the oath he and his fellow agents took.
“This is what we signed up to do,” he said. “This is the oath we took when we came into office: to protect the Constitution, protect our nation’s borders, against enemies — foreign and domestic. So for us, it’s a proud moment to gain operational control of our nation’s borders.”