KENEDY COUNTY, Texas — Talk about law enforcement stretched thin.
In south Texas’ Kenedy County, just two sheriff’s deputies per shift are assigned to patrol a region of nearly 2,000 square miles at any given time. And that’s on a good day.
A captain with the department tells KENS 5 that isn’t enough to deal with the number of suspected migrants dying in Kenedy County fields.
Driving through south Texas toward McAllen, you might miss the county altogether. There’s no gas stations, no restaurants—just brush and sand dunes. That’s perfect for the few who live here, the third-least-populated county in Texas with 350 residents, according to the most recent census. But the remote area has proven deadly for the many migrants making their way north from the U.S.-Mexico border, according to local law enforcement.
“I've never experienced something like that,” said Capt. Eddie Cruz, with the Kenedy County Sheriff’s Office. “That's with three combat zones. This is truly a tragedy. It really is a tragedy.”
Kenedy County is about 70 miles north of the actual border. Cruz said his department has been responsible for rescuing lost or hurt migrants, calling 911, and recovering the remains of people trying to circumvent the nearby Border Patrol checkpoint.
“These bodies are found in valleys of sand dunes where it is difficult with the equipment that we have,” Cruz said.
Cruz said the number of bodies recovered has gone up in recent years.According to the accounting from his department, in 2019 KCSO recovered 12 remains. Eight remains were found the following year.
Then, a jump–23 remains of suspected migrants were found in 2021. Based on statistics Cruz provided, 2022 is on track to either meet or exceed 2021.
The count provided by Cruz includes skeletal remains and bodies found in Kenedy County.
“We have a nine-men patrol division, we could have 15 and probably we still wouldn't have enough manpower,” he said.
And then there are families looking for the missing, calling Cruz to help in search efforts.
“I got a phone call the other day. He said, ‘Hey, I lost a loved one. Last I knew he was in Sarita. Where, I don't know. Can you guys find him?’” Cruz described the conversation. “That's like looking for a needle in the haystack. This is beautiful, dangerous country.”
Driving through the region, there is a certain charm in the south Texas landscape. If you know what you’re looking for, much of it will tell another story—one of struggle and danger faced by many after crossing the border.
“There's people that are making the trek,” Cruz said, “and a lot of them are losing their lives over it.”
Kenedy County is not alone in having to recover bodies. Nearby Brooks County recovered a total of 119 last year, according to Sheriff Benny Martinez.
Border Patrol has a Missing Migrant Program to help deal with the issue. In the Rio Grande Valley, it helped identify 130 bodies last fiscal year. Border Patrol in RGV told KENS 5 it also helped rescue 949 people during that same time period.