Texas Prosecutes Migrants for Damaging Border Razor Wire

In El Paso, Texas, migrants caught damaging razor wire along the Rio Grande are facing criminal charges. Two men from Brazil and one from Ecuador appeared before a magistrate on Tuesday, accused of criminal mischief for allegedly disabling the wire to enter the country illegally.

According to Assistant El Paso District Attorney Jessica Lamberth, the men were observed by the Texas Army National Guard using wire-cutters to bypass the concertina wire and climb to the top of the river levee. One of the men was seen tossing away the pliers while another attempted to reach the border wall.

One of the accused, Simon Bolivar Llivisaca from Ecuador, claimed he was heading to join family in Washington, D.C., to provide for his young daughter. Another man, Wagner Miranda from Brazil, said he was going to New Jersey to reunite with his family.

Texas Prosecutes Migrants for Damaging Border Razor Wire

The damage caused to the Texas barrier was estimated at $750, and all three men were unable to post a $1,000 bond. Despite a request from the El Paso Public Defender’s Office to appoint a lawyer and lower the bond, the magistrate declined, citing their immigration status.

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Meanwhile, the Texas Department of Public Safety announced the arrest of four other migrants for similar wire-cutting activities near the border wall on March 29. The department emphasized that destroying state property is a crime, and those responsible will be arrested and charged.

The migrants will undergo a probable cause hearing as they navigate through the judicial system.