Special Report: Ranchers Work With Deputies

Reported by: Jordan Williams
Last Update: 9:11 am

BROOKS COUNTY - Volunteers across the country are coming to South Texas to help patrol and look for illegal immigrants.

Ranchers have even opened their land to Sheriff's Deputies. CHANNEL 5 NEWS joined the deputies on their hunt through the brush.

Within a few minutes Brooks County Sheriff's Deputies got their first call.

CHANNEL 5 NEWS reporter Jordan Williams and Photojournalist Mike Ortiz realized they were in for a wild ride.

They tracked suspected smugglers on the highways and through the rugged ranchland.

"I've seen elderly people. I've seen young people, I've seen people as young as 12 walking the brush," says Sgt. Danny Davila.

Davila helps the department's brush patrol. "The undocumented aliens, they tend to travel at night. It's a lot cooler," he says.

The south Texas heat and humidity make the cross-country trip dangerous.

"This time of year, just looking on the side of the road. I mean it's hot as it's been, they're gonna come right to you, they get lost. They've been confused as far as where they're at, they haven't had water in a couple of days," says Sgt. Davila.

Two men were so desperate they practically flagged us down. They spent three days lost in the brush, drinking water from cow troughs. The terrain is tough, absolutely unforgiving.

Sgt. Davila says, "I don't think the aliens who try to come across, I don't think they're told the whole story. I think a lot of times they're told it'll be an hour at the most."

Sgt. Davila says they often end up walking through sandy areas which makes their trip slow going.

"It's like walking at the beach. Can you imagine 2 to 3 hours of this, during the day in the heat," he asks.

If they get through the sand, immigrants stilll have a long walk to the place where they often get picked up. It's about 10 miles north along highway 285.

Sgt. Davila says coyotes often leave illegals behind.

"He doesn't care if a 24-year-old female mother of three can't keep up. She dies. They leave them, and there's been some people in the group that have stayed behind with people who are dying because they don't want them to die alone, and then they go get help once they die," says Davila.

The photos are painful, heartbreaking even for deputies.

They've had to deal with dozens of deaths in the past three years.

2009 was especially rough, deputies found 77 bodies in the brush that year.

The numbers have fallen slightly in the past two years. They feel like their brush patrols may be saving lives.

"We're hoping we can go from a two man crew to a six to eight man crew," says Sgt Davila.

Federal grant money pays for the special patrols.

The money is up.

"Now we're still pending to see if funding will be issued again," he says.

The Sheriff's department is trying to make a case with Washington. So is Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples.

"Well, I think our local law enforcement, our Texas Rangers and our Border Patrol that we have in place today are doing a great job under the circumstances. They're working night and day, but I think they're overwhelmed by the volume of traffic," says Staples.

Commissioner Staples finds the lack of federal help frustrating.

"We need immediately 1000 National Guard Troops. We need immediately at least 3000 more Border Patrol Agents," he says.

The Brooks County Deputies would be satisfied with any extra help.

Deputies know they must stay on patrol. They'll stay in the brush, working the front lines of this battle in Brooks County.

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