Invasion: Suspected cartel gunmen cross U.S.-Mexico border armed with rifles and body armor

A group of men carrying assault rifles and body armor were seen crossing the U.S.-Mexico border near Texas on Saturday, according to law enforcement officials. 

Images of the incident captured by evening cameras in Fronton, near the South Texas scrubland, were obtained by Fox News. The shocking images show the three men as they moved through the brush in body armor, carrying rifles. 

Border Patrol agents, including members of the elite Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC), were deployed to the area to investigate, but did not find anything.

Days earlier, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) drone operators in Eagle Pass found a man carrying a long gun and guiding a group of migrants across the border.

The unidentified man carrying the weapon returned to Mexico before he could be apprehended, according to a DPS spokesperson.

In June, a similar incident took place also near Fronton. Five suspected members of the Cartel del Noreste were arrested by Border Patrol agents after they crossed the border with rifles and tactical gear. 

Authorities believe that the three men spotted in the cameras this week also belong to a Mexican cartel.Drug cartels have become more active in recent years, increasing their activities near the U.S.-Mexico border by smuggling undocumented migrants and drugs. 

Texas has encountered an unprecedented number of undocumented migrants at the border despite the recent downward trend after the end of the pandemic-era policy Title 42. 

In July, encounters with undocumented migrants increased by more than 30% compared to the previous month, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. More than 130,000 apprehensions took place in July, compared to 99,545 in June. 

Last week, Texas Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) intercepted more than 1,100 undocumented migrants near the town of La Grulla in only 24 hours, said RGV Chief Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez.