Texas authorities armed with ‘thousands’ of pepperballs instructed to go full force against migrants arriving at El Paso border

Hundreds of migrants began arriving daily at the border just south of El Paso via overcrowded freight trains on a line nicknamed “The Beast,” after the Mexican government stopped cracking down on people hitchhiking.

In response to an expected increase in illegal crossing attempts, Texas National Guard soldiers have been issued non-lethal pepper munitions to deter would-be crossers from attempting to sneak into fortified areas around entry points, a said a National Guard source. Job.

Soldiers have been armed with “thousands” of pepper balls and the source adds: “It’s like Donkey Kong right now,” noting that more troops are also being called in to help.

The first train arrived Wednesday in Juarez, directly south of El Paso, with hundreds of migrants disembarking, according to Border Report.

Some intended to go directly to the Rio Grande River to try to cross illegally into El Paso while many families sought shelter in Juarez before attempting to cross Thursday, according to the report.

No one is supposed to cross the border outside of designated ports of entry, not only because it is illegal, but also because it is dangerous.

Asylum-seeking migrants are supposed to wait until they have an appointment with the Department of Homeland Security to enter the country through the CBP One app, then report to border agents.

However, in practice, the Biden administration does not enforce this rule and treats those who travel to ports of entry the same. It is this practice that has led many to criticize the administration’s policies, calling them lax.

Migrants call the trains that bring them to the border “La Bestia”, which translates to The Beast, as it is known as the “Death Train” due to the risk of death and loss of limbs associated with the made of clinging to the sides or riding its roof for the dangerous between Chihuahua and Juarez.

Texas began arming troopers and state troopers deployed to the El Paso border with pepper spray guns and other tools to disperse large groups after hundreds of migrants stormed the area has a passageway known as Gate 36 – a storm gate which is not a crossing point. entry – March 21, which was filmed by The Post.

The group tore down the state’s concertina border fence and pushed past National Guard members, outnumbered by migrants, as they moved toward the border gate, which was closed.

Members of the Texas National Guard then confiscated the group members’ knives and shanks. At least one migrant also tried to grab a soldier’s firearm in the chaotic situation.

Texas has since charged 214 people with rioting and nine other alleged ringleaders with heavier charges in connection with the attempted incursion.

The Lone Star State has also increased its law enforcement presence in the region, deploying hundreds of additional troops and placing additional fencing and barbed wire around the area.

Another clash broke out on April 12 at the El Paso border, leading to the charges of 140 additional migrants, according to KFOX14.

In another incident, a soldier supporting the Texas effort shot a migrant while responding to a stabbing involving illegal border crossers, as The Post reported on April 15.

Additionally, cartels are fighting over smuggling routes between Chihuahua City and Juarez. Last week, the bodies of eight men massacred by a gang were discovered along a route popular with migrants.

On Wednesday, Mexican authorities also stopped a trailer filled with 131 Central and South American migrants south of Juarez that was believed to be heading toward the U.S. border, according to Border Report.

Victor Avila, a retired agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), told the Post that Juarez is “one of the most coveted trafficking corridors from Mexico in existence.”

The Texas Military Department (TMD), which includes the state National Guard, did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.