At least eight migrants were found dead in the Rio Grande after dozens attempted a hazardous river crossing near Eagle Pass, Texas, officials have said.
Reports said that dozens of migrants had tried to enter the US from Mexico and that as many as 37 were saved by border patrol agents, during an incident on Thursday.
In a statement sent to the media, Rick Pauza, a spokesperson for the Customs and Border Protection office in Laredo, said the authorities were still helping the local fire department and sheriff’s office to search for possible survivors.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said American agents recovered the bodies of six drowning victims and Mexican authorities found two others.
The agency did not provide information about the nationalities of the victims or their ages, but it has been widely reported that families with children have been crossing the area in recent months,
The Associated Press said that in a news release last month, the CPD said it had discovered bodies of more than 200 dead migrants in the sector from October through July.
Surveys by the UN International Organization for Migration and others point to rising fatalities as the number of crossing attempts have soared.
At the same time, thousands have died attempting to enter the United States from Mexico over the past three decades, often from dehydration or drowning.
The issue has become one of the most controversial in US politics, with figures such as Donald Trump and Texas governor Greg Abbott accusing Democrats of being “soft” on the border.
Reports said officials made the discovery Thursday while responding to a large group of people crossing the river following days of heavy rains.
