GRANJENO, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley apprehend the largest group encountered in the area so far this year.

This morning, just after midnight, McAllen agents working near Granjeno, Texas, responded to a report of a large group of suspected illegal aliens walking towards the river levee.  As agents responded, they observed hundreds of people consisting of family units and unaccompanied children cross the river levee. Agents took 289 illegal aliens into custody and transported them to be processed.

In all, Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol arrested over 1,000 illegal aliens within the last 24 hours.

In the month of February, Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley Sector apprehended over 14,000 family units and more than 2,900 unaccompanied children.

Border Patrol is processing the subjects accordingly.