Affidavit: Jet ski smugglers charged $5,000 to cross the Rio Grande

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Smugglers charged a man and his daughter $5,000 to cross the Rio Grande on a jet ski last week.

The man — a Mexican citizen who had lived in McAllen for more than 16 years — traveled to Reynosa after his daughter went missing, according to a criminal complaint. After finding his daughter, the man paid smugglers $5,000 to bring them back across the border.

Border Patrol, however, caught him crossing the Rio Grande.

At 2:15 p.m. on April 8, agents detected a drone near the Riverside Club in Mission.

Smugglers frequently use small drones to conduct surveillance before they send migrants or drugs across the Rio Grande.

The drones, though, don’t always provide smugglers with an advantage. In some cases, they actually tip off Border Patrol.

Many consumer drones broadcast ID numbers and location information. When agents detect certain drones, they know smugglers are preparing to cross the border.

An affidavit filed by Border Patrol in June 2024 revealed how closely agents had tracked a particular drone in Hidalgo.

“Specifically, this drone has had approximately 438 recorded flight incidents near this area relating to illegal non-citizen crossings, which resulted in 154 apprehensions, 86 turn-backs, and 15 got-aways,” according to the affidavit, which added that Border Patrol typically had “less than 3 minutes from the time a drone incursion is reported until the non-citizen enters the get-away motor vehicle.”

On April 8, when Border Patrol detected a drone near the Riverside Club, agents set up counter-surveillance.

They watched a jet ski cross the Rio Grande, according to the criminal complaint. It dropped off the man and his daughter, who ran through the parking lot and jumped into a brown sedan.

Border Patrol stopped the sedan about 250 yards away from the Riverside Club.

Agents charged the driver, David Anthony Cavazos, 56, of McAllen, with transporting two people without legal status in the United States.

Cavazos appeared in court Monday wearing a yellow sweatshirt and gray sweatpants.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell said Cavazos had a long criminal history and a serious problem with “substance abuse.”

If released on bond, Cavazos might not show up for court, Parcell said, adding that Cavazos had ties to Mexico.

His attorney, Assistant Federal Public Defender Michelle Taylor, disagreed.

“I don’t believe that Mr. Cavazos is a flight risk at all,” Taylor said, adding that Cavazos doesn’t own a passport and hasn’t traveled to Mexico for about 10 years.

If released on bond, Cavazos could attend in-patient drug treatment, Taylor said. After being released, he could stay on property owned by his parents.

“He lives behind his parents’ home,” Taylor said.

U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker asked if Cavazos could stay with his parents instead of merely on the property.

His father, who attended the hearing, shook his head no.

“I’m going to consider giving you a bond,” Hacker said, adding that he would not make a decision right away. “It’s going to take some thought.”