CBP Air Unit, Border Patrol Arrest Six Camouflaged Migrants Near San Luis Pass Road

Six migrants dressed in camouflage were arrested near San Luis Pass Road on March 11 following an overnight surveillance operation that drew together some of the Border Patrol's most specialized units in the El Paso Sector.

CBP's Deming Air Unit coordinated the effort alongside Lordsburg Border Patrol agents and three elite tactical teams: RAPTOR, BORTAC, and SOG. The use of camouflage by the crossing group indicated a deliberate attempt to avoid aerial and ground detection, prompting the sustained overnight tracking operation before agents moved in to make arrests.

All six migrants were taken into custody, but two individuals believed to have served as guides for the group managed to evade apprehension. Despite follow-up searches, both suspected guides successfully retreated across the border into Mexico.

The operation reflects the layered enforcement posture that CBP has maintained in the El Paso Sector, where air assets from Deming are routinely deployed to extend surveillance range beyond what ground units can cover alone. BORTAC, the Border Patrol Tactical Unit, and SOG, the Special Operations Group, are typically activated when crossing groups demonstrate organized smuggling tactics, as the camouflaged attire in this case suggested.

The escape of the two suspected guides leaves open the possibility that the same individuals could attempt to facilitate additional crossings in the area. San Luis Pass Road sits within a stretch of terrain that has seen repeated smuggling activity, making the Deming Air Unit's overhead surveillance capability a recurring factor in interdiction efforts there.