The U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) is a federal law‑enforcement component of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) whose primary mission is to detect and prevent the illegal entry of people and the smuggling of contraband between ports of entry. Its duties include patrolling land and coastal borders, conducting linewatch and sign‑cutting, operating checkpoints and transportation inspections, marine and air patrols, and supporting counter‑smuggling and national‑security missions.
Del Rio Sector is a USBP sector based in Del Rio, Texas, responsible for patrolling roughly 245 miles of the Rio Grande (including Lake Amistad) on the U.S.–Mexico border. The sector covers dozens of counties in southwest/central Texas, reaches several hundred miles inland (CBP cites the sector reaching up to ~300 miles into Texas), and includes multiple stations (e.g., Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Uvalde, San Angelo).
CBP defines an “encounter” as any instance in which CBP personnel interact with a removable alien; nationwide encounter counts combine USBP Title‑8 apprehensions, Office of Field Operations (OFO) Title‑8 inadmissibles at ports of entry, and (where applicable) Title‑42 expulsions. Encounters are event‑based (interactions), not unique individuals, and a single person can be counted more than once if they are encountered multiple times or processed under different authorities. CBP extracts these counts from its live systems and notes they are subject to revision.
A “gotaway” in Border Patrol reporting refers to an observed or detected individual (or group) who appears to have made entry into the United States but was not apprehended or otherwise taken into custody by agents. Gotaways are typically identified from agent observations, sensor/camera footage, or other detection means and reported as events where subjects evaded interdiction.
“FYTD26” means fiscal‑year‑to‑date for Fiscal Year 2026 and covers Oct. 1, 2025 through the latest month reported in FY26; “FY25” refers to Fiscal Year 2025, which ran Oct. 1, 2024–Sept. 30, 2025. (U.S. federal fiscal years run Oct. 1–Sept. 30.)
Operation River Wall is a DHS/CBP operation announced in October 2025 that increased enforcement posture along the Rio Grande region; DHS public statements describe it as employing additional Border Patrol units, technology and coordinated operations with partner agencies and the Texas National Guard to disrupt smuggling and crossings in targeted riverine areas.
The announced $4.5 billion 'Smart Wall' contracts fund construction of roughly 230 miles of a hybrid border system combining physical barriers, vehicle access roads, cameras, and sensors/detection technology. Contract awards have been made to private defense/construction firms under CBP procurement vehicles; CBP has issued program releases and contract notices describing the mix of barriers, roads and sensors, though specific contractor names and contract details are available in CBP/DHS contract announcements and procurement filings.
CBP/USBP compile and publish the encounter, gotaway and related operational metrics (through CBP dashboards and sector reports). DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG), Government Accountability Office (GAO), and independent researchers sometimes audit data, methodology, and program claims; however, sector‑level monthly encounter counts are produced by CBP’s live data systems and subject to internal revision—independent verification of specific sector month‑to‑month claims requires OIG/GAO reports or third‑party analyses (which may not cover every sector/month).