The number of migrants crossing the southern border with Mexico in June fell, but the number of cocaine seizures increased, according to the latest U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures.
More than 153,000 migrants crossed the southern border with Mexico in June, bringing the total “encounters” with the Border Patrol to more than 2 million for the current fiscal year, the data show.
The figure represented a decrease of 14% compared to May, which saw more than 207,000 migrants cross the border, but the number of people crossing the border increased again.
In June, 26% of all “meetings” with Border Patrol agents involved those who had at least “a previous meeting in the previous 12 months,” the figures show.
CBP statistics show that the average reunion rate from 2014 to 2019 was 15%.
Although the number of migrants fell, CBP agents reported a 62 percent increase in cocaine seizures, although seizures of other drugs, such as methamphetamines, heroin and fentanyl, decreased.
More than 153,000 migrants crossed the border into Mexico in June. AFP via Getty Images Repetition of border crossings has increased.
In May, more than two-thirds of all encounters, 68%, were single adults. The 140,197 meetings represented a drop of 16% compared to May.
Although the number of people crossing the border with a single adult dropped, encounters of unaccompanied minors increased 4 percent to 15,271 encounters in June compared to 14,678 in May, according to CBP statistics.