McALLEN, Texas – It's become part of life on the border -- smugglers transporting immigrants across the Rio Grande River in plain sight of U.S. Border Patrol agents.
"Whenever they're done, they'll pull their raft back, so they're not done," said Border Patrol Agent Carlos Ruiz.
Ruiz told our sister station in Houston, KPRC-TV, that the migrants are Cuban and said about 50 immigrants cross the river in roughly 20 minutes.
"All we're doing is crying for help. We need help. We're undermanned," Ruiz said.
Ruiz said the Rio Grande Valley sector apprehended over 10,000 immigrants in just one week.
It's a trend that doesn't seem to be slowing down.
The Rio Grande Valley sector has the capacity to hold 3,800 immigrants, and currently has more than 8,000 in custody.