Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber said earlier that a member of the Texas National Guard had tried to rescue a woman who was crossing the Rio Grande in the Eagle Pass area of Texas, and he “never got on.”
The woman reached the American side of the border and was detained by federal authorities. The identity of the security guard has not been revealed, Schmerber said.
The Texas Department of Public Safety and Border Patrol are assisting in the search, according to a statement from the Texas Department of War.
The soldier has been assigned to Operation Lone Star, Governor Greg Abbott’s efforts to combat what he says is a crisis on the US-Mexico border.
The governor said his office was working “with the Texas National Guard and other law enforcement agencies while searching for the missing soldier at Eagle Pass. Updates will be provided when further details become available.”
The abbot, who is to be re-elected, launched Operation Lone Star last March. The operation, which relies on resources from the State Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard, has grown to more than 10,000 troops.
The role of the National Guard in Operation Lone Star often supports law enforcement. Military members are prohibited from carrying out law enforcement activities, such as arrests or searches, without prior permission.
CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez contributed to this story.
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