SAN ANTONIO (NewsNation) — Illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border have dropped 94% compared to last year, with U.S. Border Patrol officials attributing the decline to the Trump administration’s policies.
Meanwhile, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has intensified its efforts to target transnational criminal organizations, recently seizing over $200,000 worth of drugs and firearms.
A year ago, there were an average of 4,800 migrant encounters daily at the southern border. That number has now dropped to less than 300. Areas like Eagle Pass and Del Rio in South Texas, which once saw thousands of illegal crossings under the Biden administration, now average less than 50 encounters per day.
President Donald Trump’s executive orders on immigration and his messaging on mass deportations have helped deter illegal crossings.
Groups of migrants return to their home countries
According to the Border Patrol, groups of migrants in Mexico are now choosing to return to their home countries rather than continuing their journey up north, and migrants cited the heavy security along the border and Mexico’s containment efforts.
Sources in Mexico told NewsNation that since Trump ended the CBP One Program, hundreds of migrants have left Mexican border towns and begun returning to their home countries, sources in Mexico.
Additionally, the Border Patrol has deputized Texas National Guard troops under Title 8, expanding their authority to detain and arrest illegal migrants and adding further support for CBP agents.
CBP intercepts 120+ lbs. of cocaine
Law enforcement efforts have also targeted major drug rings.
In Phoenix, a months-long operation, Operation Double Down, disrupted a transnational drug network moving fentanyl, meth, heroin, and cocaine from Mexico into Arizona. The operation led to the seizure of nearly two million fentanyl pills, hundreds of pounds of meth, and $210,000 in cash, with 25 suspects facing charges.
Investigators also tied parts of the network to smuggling routes in Mexico and other U.S. states, including New Mexico and Colorado.
At the South Texas border, CBP officers intercepted over 120 pounds of cocaine in a single day, seizing drugs from three separate smuggling attempts worth more than $1 million. Officers said the drugs were hidden in passenger vehicles flagged by canine teams.
The busts highlight law enforcement’s aggressive push to disrupt cartel operations, though officials caution that cartels are constantly shifting their tactics, making it a challenge to stay ahead.