Del Rio native leads tireless efforts in curbing smuggling, ensuring migrant safety with Texas DPS Brush Unit
Quemado, Texas — It's not a 9-to-5 job.
Del Rio native Lt. Noe Fernandez works anywhere between 12 and 16 hours a day as part of the Texas Department of Public Safety's Brush Unit. Lt. Noe Fernandez is the supervisor in charge of the unit. In addition to his regular duties, he also volunteers for the unit.
Fernandez, being from Del Rio, understands that the work his unit does helps curb smuggler activity at night and saves the lives of migrants who may get lost in the treacherous Texas terrain or may be harmed by a smuggler trying to squeeze extra cash from them for getting them out of the border.
On the night we were invited to ride with the unit, they staged in Quemado, Texas. This is a hotspot for human smuggling and for undocumented migrants to cross under the radar. It is between Eagle Pass and Del Rio and the Rio Grande here is significantly deeper.
At landowners' meetings, DPS Cpt Joel Betancourt is often asked how they can have the unit come to their property at night for assistance. Many ranchers are currently hosting hunters for the hunting season, and having migrants trespassing is a significant safety concern. Ranchers prefer to have them removed from their property to prevent accidents.
In addition to the men and women who wear the DPS uniform, National Guard members and troopers from other states are involved. DPS also coordinates with Border Patrol, as the surveillance cameras along this area are monitored by both. Here, along the border, law enforcement agencies work together and understand that in these desolate areas, they must depend on each other in case something goes wrong.