Body recovered in Rio Grande near Eagle Pass’ disputed Shelby Park

The Texas Department of Public Safety on Saturday pulled the body of an unidentified man from the Rio Grande near the Eagle Pass public park at the center of a standoff between state and federal officials.

State troopers in a tactical boat recovered the body from shallow water south of Shelby Park, according to a tweet from DPS spokesman Lt. Chris Olivarez. The Maverick County Sheriff’s Office is now overseeing an investigation, Olivarez added.

Shelby Park is the site of a days-long standoff between Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the Biden administration. The Texas National Guard seized control of the park from city officials on Oct. 11 and subsequently blocked U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents from entering.

The White House has since asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene, arguing that Abbott is hindering Border Patrol officers from carrying out their duties. Immigration enforcement is a federal, not a state, responsibility, according to legal precedent.

During the standoff, three migrants — a woman and two children — drowned while trying to cross the Rio Grande into Texas. Federal officials, including U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, said Border Patrol agents were unable to rescue the three because they were closed off from the park, a claim Abbott has denied. 

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This article appears in Jan 10-23, 2024.