Authorities continued searching for a missing Army guardsman on Saturday. The soldier, 22, jumped into the Rio Grande on Friday to save drowning migrants.
The Texas National Guard soldier who died trying to save alleged drug smugglers in the Rio Grande River was identified Sunday as Specialist Bishop E. Evans, 22, from Arlington, Texas.
The search is still underway for Evans’ body after he presumably drowned Friday after jumping in the water diving Texas and Mexico in an attempt to rescue two men from the current.
Republican Texas Representative Chip Roy sent a quick ‘rest in peace’ message on Twitter upon the release of the deceased’s name.
Illinois GOP Representative Mary Miller tweeted on Sunday: ‘Praying for Texas National Guard SPC Bishop Evans and his family. What a horrible tragedy for them to endure, he was only 22 years old.’
Evans’ death comes just one month before Title 42 is set to end, which will cause an even greater migration crisis at the southern border – where immigration agencies are already overwhelmed.
National Guard from several states were deployed to assist with the influx of migrants since President Joe Biden took office last January.
On Friday, when news of an unidentified soldier’s death broke, remorseful messages went out from Texas lawmakers.
‘Heidi and I are praying for the Texas Army National Guard Soldier and my team and I are monitoring reports of what happened today very closely. God bless our men and women in uniform,’ Republican Senator Ted Cruz tweeted.
Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez wrote: ‘I’m heartbroken to hear of the death of a Texas National Guard soldier.’
‘Our Citizen-Soldiers respond to our toughest challenges including the border crisis,’ he added. ‘As we’ve seen with the deaths of migrants & now the tragic loss of a guardsman, this crisis can be deadly for all involved.’
Authorities are searching for Evans, who went missing after jumping into the Rio Grande river to save a pair of drowning migrants from Mexico .
The 22-year-old soldier went into the water near Eagle Pass, Texas on Friday and has not been seen since, according to a Texas Military Department press release.
It is now presumed that Evans drowned.
Multiple agencies searched for the soldier on Saturday and ‘will continue until we have exhausted all available resources,’ the department said.
Political | Process 
Leave a comment