(NewsNation) — Four migrants have been arrested and charged with trying to cut through concertina wire installed along the Texas-Mexico border.
The Texas Department of Public Safety announced the arrests in a post on X, which included video of the alleged act that took place Friday near Gate 36 in El Paso.
“Destroying state property is a crime — those responsible will be arrested & charged,” the department said.
The arrest comes after migrants tore down other razor fencing and rushed National Guard troops last month. More than 200 people have been arrested.
Following the March 21 incident that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called a border riot, the state has beefed up reinforcements on the El Paso stretch of the border. Texas has warned more arrests will come for anyone caught cutting fences.
Immediately after the March 21 incident, Abbott in a social media post instructed Texas DPS personnel to “arrest every illegal immigrant involved for criminal trespass and destruction of property.”
Texas and other border states continue to deal with an influx of migrants, as data shared with NewsNation from Customs and Border Protection sources in the El Paso sector indicate a rise in migrant encounters in March.
Last month, more than 30,000 encounters in the sector, compared to some 24,000 in February — an increase of 25%.
In contrast, the Del Rio Sector, home to Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, where Texas officials have sought to take operational control from the federal government, has seen a decrease of 20% from February to March.
The Tucson and San Diego sectors saw the most migrant apprehensions in March, according to the data seen by NewsNation.