Chris Olivarez, a Lieutenant and spokesman at the Texas Department of Public Safety, said that cartels are "placing colored wristbands on illegal immigrants," including unaccompanied children, to control those who cross the border. He made this statement in a post on X on October 22.

"the Cartel is now placing colored wristbands on illegal immigrants, including special interest immigrants & unaccompanied children as they cross the border," said Lt. Chris Olivarez, Spokesperson with the Texas Department of Public Safety. "This signifies a sophisticated & coordinated effort by the Cartel to control who comes across the border."

According to News Nation, the colored wristbands have been found in Eagle Pass in the Del Rio sector of the U.S. southern border. Cartels use these wristbands "to separate groups or families and also to show proof of payment."

Screenshot of Post on X | X

Fox News reports that cartels charge migrants fees for crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. While colored bracelets were previously used to track these payments in the Rio Grande Valley, they are new to the Eagle Pass area. "We've never seen [wristbands] in Eagle Pass," Olivarez said. He added that the cartels are "more controlled, more coordinated," specifically mentioning the Cartel del Noreste (CDN), which controls the region.

Fox News further reported there are currently 300 daily illegal encounters in Eagle Pass and 2,000 across Texas. The number of special interest migrants from different countries—individuals considered a possible threat to U.S. national security—and unaccompanied children have both increased.

Olivarez is a Lieutenant and spokesperson at the Texas Department of Public Safety, South Texas Region, according to X.