Camouflage-Clad Chinese Illegals Caught At Border

Texas authorities caught a group of six Chinese nationals dressed in camouflage as they tried to sneak across the southern border, officials said Wednesday.

Border Patrol agents found the Chinese illegal immigrants Tuesday night among a group of 12 border crossers attempting “to evade capture on a private ranch” in Maverick County, which is home to Eagle Pass, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Lt. Chris Olivarez said in an X post.

Chinese illegal immigrants are considered “special interest aliens” due to national security concerns and often face more scrutiny from federal authorities.

Earlier on Tuesday, troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) K-9 Bona and her handler located a group of seven illegal immigrants from India, Cuba, Mexico, Guatemala, and Ecuador on a private ranch in the same county. They handed the group over to Border Patrol.

Photos shared by Olivarez showed the group dressed in head-to-toe camo as they sat on the ground surrounded by officers.

Olivarez said such “apprehensions highlight the ongoing efforts in deterring criminal activity along the southern border and the critical partnership between Texas DPS and our federal partners under Operation Lone Star.”

“Border security is national security,” he added.

#NEW: SPECIAL INTEREST ALIENS APPREHENDED IN MAVERICK CO—TEXAS DPS K-9 BONA ASSISTS IN TRACKING GROUP ON PRIVATE RANCH

On 5/26/26, @TxDPS Tracking K-9 Bona and her handler assisted the U.S. Border Patrol in Maverick County, tracking, locating, and apprehending seven illegal… pic.twitter.com/zqKPbdEFJJ

— Chris Olivarez (@LtChrisOlivarez) May 27, 2026

The arrests come as the Trump administration touts historically low levels of illegal border crossings while warning the Mexican drug cartels are increasingly attempting to move migrants through more covert smuggling routes.

Unlike under the Biden administration, illegal immigrants aren’t released into the United States pending immigration proceedings.

Officials say the tougher enforcement environment has led to a rise in the number of gotaways, or illegal immigrants who evade capture.

Last month, the Department of Homeland Security recruited roughly 200 Border Patrol agents from both the southern and northern borders for 30-day volunteer duties to support overwhelmed colleagues in Laredo, Texas, who are trying to chase down the “gotaways,” The Daily Wire previously reported.

A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection said the region has become “a target” due to shifting smuggling routes. 

While Border Patrol agents sometimes detect gotaways through sensors and cameras, officials acknowledge the true number of gotaways remains unknown.

Roughly 2 million gotaways entered the United States during the Biden administration, according to the House Homeland Security Committee.