Jaw-dropping video captured a confrontation between US Border Patrol agents and illegal immigrants who tried to force their way into the US on the New Mexico border near El Paso, Texas.
Aerial footage shared by the Texas Department of Public Safety Thursday shows green-uniformed Border Patrol agents on foot and ATV racing towards the border wall as it’s swarmed on the Mexican side.
At least half a dozen men on the Mexican side climbed the border barrier- which is anywhere from 19 to 30 feet tall – using a make-shift ladder.
As agents started taking migrants into custody, smugglers being paid to sneak the migrants in began throwing rocks, sand and even water bottles at the federal officers – which is a crime under U.S. law.
One full water bottle is chucked over the wall in an effort to stop the immigration agents from doing their job.
Aerial footage taken from a Texas DPS helicopter that was assisting US Border Patrol captured the confrontation between federal agents and illegal immigrants
In another bizarre scene, a second water bottle is handed over to a man perched on top of the border wall.
He appears to consider hurling it at an agent, before handing it to another man who instead opens it and takes a sip out of it.
Later a border officer on an ATV tires to pull down the ladder to prevent others from climbing the border wall.
A smuggler sitting on top of the wall is holding on to it and resists.
He and the agent engage in a tug of war, with the smugglers ultimately giving up before retreating back into their country.
US Border Patrol attempt to take migrants making illegal entry into the US, while smugglers on top of the border wall throw sand, rocks and water bottles at the officers
Smugglers perched on top of the border wall threw water bottles at the agents below
The incident happened near the Santa Teresa Port of Entry in New Mexico, less than ten miles outside of Texas.
Border Patrol’s El Paso sector is currently the third busiest border crossing spot along the southern border with the Mexico– behind the San Diego and Tucson sectors.
The region includes the West Texas city of El Paso and all of Southern New Mexico.
Migrants crossing into Texas’s neighboring state are not looking to peacefully surrender to Border Patrol agents.
An unknown number of illegal immigrants were taken into custody
One Border Patrol agent struggles to take the ladder away from smugglers
Instead, the Santa Teresa area is a well-known smuggling spot, where migrants who are not seeking asylum look to evade Border Patrol agents all together.
In the most recent figures released by the federal agency, 30,393 migrants crossed the border in the El Paso sector in April.