Border Patrol arrests of criminal illegal immigrants skyrocket in Laredo Sector

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Smugglers employ 'specific strategy' to tie up border patrol resources

Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin has the latest from the southern border on 'Special Report'

Border Patrol agents in the Laredo Sector in Texas have seen arrests of criminal illegal immigrants skyrocket this fiscal year, as agents at the border continue to deal with an overwhelming migration crisis -- which includes gang members and sex offenders trying to make their way into the U.S.

In a release, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said that since the beginning of the fiscal year in October, nearly 760 criminal illegal immigrants have been arrested by Laredo Sector agents, compared to more than 60 arrests in the same time last year. That is an increase of approximately 1,166%.

BORDER PATROL NABS GANG MEMBERS, INCLUDING MS-13, ATTEMPTING TO ENTER US AS PART OF MIGRANT WAVE 

It comes as part of an aggressive spike in migrant encounters at the border, with 178,000 migrants encountered in April alone, an increase from the already high 172,000 encountered in March. While many of those are single adults being removed by the Title 42 public health protections, agents have previously estimated there have been up to 1,000 "gotaways" getting past agents every day.

Sources have told Fox that smugglers will dump children in one part of the border so that adults can get in in another part of the border -- something through uncompleted border wall -- as overwhelmed agents attend to the children.

CBP announced the surge in criminal arrests in Laredo in a release announcing that agents had apprehended a 20-year old Mexican national who was a member of the Sureno Gang, and had a criminal history including robbery, battery and theft of property. Agents across the border have encountered gang members from a number of gangs, including MS-13.

BORDER PATROL AGENTS IN TEXAS NAB 10 CONVICTED SEX OFFENDERS CROSSING THE BORDER IN A WEEK

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Last month, Laredo Sector Chief Matthew Hudak tweeted they had picked up five gang members, including an MS-13 member, in just seven days.

BORDER PATROL ARRESTS TWO MORE CONVICTED CHILD SEX OFFENDERS AS PART OF MIGRANT WAVE 

Meanwhile, agents have also been dealing with a surge in convicted sex offenders coming across the border -- many of them with child sex convictions.

CBP announced last week that agents in the Del Rio Sector, also in Texas, have arrested 95 convicted sex offenders -- making a 3,166% increase over the same timeframe last fiscal year.

The staggering figure comes as agents picked up 10 convicted sex offenders in just a week. The arrests were made between May 17 and 24, with nationals from Honduras and Mexico among those arrested.

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The convictions of those apprehended include forcible sexual assault, sexual assault of a child under 14, sexual conduct with a person under 13, statutory rape, second-degree sexual assault of a child, and lewd and lascivious acts with a child.