At least 200 U.S. Border Patrol agents from across the country, including the northern border, have been reassigned on 30-day volunteer duties to Laredo, Texas, to pursue migrants evading capture. Multiple Department of Homeland Security sources described the move as a response to a recent influx of 'gotaways' in the area. Agents on the northern border expressed reluctance to leave their posts due to ongoing smuggling pressures.
Multiple Department of Homeland Security sources told The Daily Wire that the reassignments aim to support Laredo sector agents chasing down gotaways, whose numbers remain undisclosed. 'Everyone from across the country is getting sent there,' one source said. Border Patrol monitors these evasions using sensors and cameras, though exact figures are unknown. During the Biden administration, known gotaways exceeded 2 million, according to the House Homeland Security Committee. Laredo agents previously encountered thousands of migrants monthly under Biden but apprehended only 1,242 in March amid reduced overall crossings under President Donald Trump, who has imposed stricter penalties and launched mass deportations, driving encounters to historic lows. More than 8 million migrants crossed the southern border during Biden's term, many released into the U.S., the sources noted. A northern border agent voiced concerns about the pull, stating, 'They’re asking for manpower, they already have close to 2,000 agents on the southern border, so if you’re having that many gotaways then that’s a leadership thing.' The agent added that northern stations are understaffed amid smuggling from Canada, with fewer than 600 apprehensions monthly since November, yet challenges persist in covering vast areas. 'None of us need to go over there because we got our own stations to take care of, that’s how most of the agents feel,' the agent said. Northern agents often operate solo in small towns near urban smuggling hubs, coordinating with limited local police. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
