Two Detainees Captured After Escape Near FM 1930 and FM 1352

Jim Wells County Sheriff Joseph "Guy" Baker confirmed late Wednesday that two detainees who escaped earlier that evening were apprehended and returned to Border Patrol custody. The sheriff said the pair were found hiding in brush close to the intersection of FM 1930 and FM 1352 off South Highway 281; they were to be returned to Border Patrol custody in Falfurrias and are pending escape charges Thursday morning.

The escape occurred around 7 p.m. Wednesday while a third-party transport was moving two people from the Falfurrias checkpoint toward Robstown. Border Patrol agents responded immediately to the scene, and the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Alice Police Department joined the search. Law enforcement activity in the area continued into the late evening before the detainees were located.

Authorities have not released details on the identities of the detainees or the reasons they were held at the checkpoint. That lack of detail has left residents with basic facts about where the incident unfolded and which agencies were involved, but not why the individuals were in custody initially.

For residents near South Highway 281 and the nearby county roads, the incident underscores how law enforcement operations tied to the interstate checkpoint network can produce sudden, visible activity in rural neighborhoods. The presence of multiple agencies on short notice shows coordination among local and state partners, but also raises practical questions about how detainees are transported and secured when removed from a checkpoint for processing or relocation.

The use of third-party transports for moving detainees is a detail likely to be of interest to local officials and residents alike, especially as communities consider safety, liability, and oversight. Criminal processing will proceed in Falfurrias when escape charges are formally filed, and any follow-up by local law enforcement will be handled through established channels.

Officials involved in the response said they will release additional information as investigations proceed. In the meantime, the quick recapture of the escapees and the coordinated response by Border Patrol, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Alice Police Department, and Jim Wells County deputies brought the immediate threat to residents to an end by early Thursday.