Big Bend National Park: astounding natural beauty, dangerous transit point for illegals.

I rolled south on Highway 385 from the captivating high-desert town of Marathon, Texas. A truly relaxing stay at the evocative, peaceful Wild West accommodations of the Gage Hotel prepared me for the adventure ahead. The road down is looooong, with not a tree in sight, a ribbon of asphalt cutting through stark, empty beauty. After a stop at the Panther Junction Visitor Center, I head a further twenty miles down near the village of Boquillas del Carmen. I missed the cutoff—it’s 4:30 PM—for the trip by rowboat via the Boquillas Cross Port of Entry into town. So I travel several more miles until I come to the Boquillas Canyon Overlook.Several Mexican men were selling handmade bowls, walking sticks, and bracelets just across the skinny Rio Grande from the village. They were friendly. But I had to wonder: have they secured a deal with Border Patrol that allows them to cross back and forth without being apprehended? Were the handmade goods cover for the sale of legitimate contraband, like meth or cocaine? I decided not to ask, but the presence of only men, with no women, was slightly suspicious. Forty miles up the road is the Border Patrol checkpoint. A drug-sniffing German shepherd was guided around the Crius to isolate any narcotics. I am not sure if it can pinpoint persons, though Border Patrol did peer into the Crius windows. Back at Boquillas, all seemed well. Come dark, however, you have to believe that illegal immigrants will make their way across the formidable, volcanic Chisos Mountains of Big Bend. The Border Patrol’s Big Bend Sector covers 517 lonely miles of the Rio Grande, from Sanderson in the east to Sierra Blanca in the west. The region’s rugged, remote landscape makes patrolling difficult, especially with limited resources. It’s impossible to catch every crossing, and one presumes the Border Patrol accepts this fact. The Administration insists that no illegal crossings have occurred since June, but out here, where sensors and surveillance towers meet sheer emptiness, that claim is tough to swallow. Watch the video. You’ll see how easily I walked straight to the Rio Grande—no resistance, no questions asked. Then again, would you make this treacherous voyage across 70 miles of open desert? For a diehard illegal immigrant, there are easier ways to cross into America. Crotty Farm Report is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Thanks for reading Crotty Farm Report! This post is public, so feel free to share it. Get full access to Crotty Farm Report at crotty.substack.com/subscribe