Body of missing Texas Guardsman Bishop E. Evans is found
The body of missing Texas National Guardsman Bishop E. Evans was found Monday morning, three days after he dove into the Rio Grande on the Texas-Mexico border to save two migrants attempting to cross the treacherous waters and enter the US illegally.
The body of Evans, a 22-year-old from Arlington, Texas, was found and identified by local authorities, the Texas Military Department revealed.
“We are devastated by the loss of a member of our Guard family,” Maj Gen Tom Suelzer, Adjutant General for Texas, said in a statement. “We recognize the selflessness of this heroic Soldier who put his life above others in service to our state and national security. The Texas Military Department sends our deepest condolences to the family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time.”
The Texas Military Department said the two migrants involved were crossing the river into the US “illegally” and were a part of “illicit transnational narcotics trafficking.” They remained in custody as of Saturday.
Rep. Tony Gonzalez (R-Texas) first revealed the news of Evans’ death on Twitter.
“This young soldier made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of protecting and serving our country,” Gonzalez wrote. “He will never be forgotten.”
Hours after the confirmation emerged, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that “our heart goes out to his family and loved ones,” reiterating that his actions were “selfless.”
“Of course, we know that National Guard personnel, including him, risk their lives every day to serve and protect others,” Psaki said. “And again, oru hearts go out to his family.”
She did not provide any information on whether the president plans to reach out to Evans’ family.
When pressed on whether the White House feels “responsible” for his death given the historic surge of illegal immigration under Biden, Psaki deflected that the guardsman is an employee of the Texas National Guard, not the federal government.
“We’ve long stated that our immigration system is broken,” she said. “There needs to be more done to invest in smarter security to have a more effective asylum processing system. And we would welcome any efforts for any elected officials to work with us on that.”
Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich pressed Psaki further, asking if the administration plans to help increase the law enforcement presence at the border as local officials brace for additional spikes of migrant encounters with the lifting of Title 42.
Psaki then pointed blame on the previous administration, bashing former President Donald Trump as investing “billions of dollars in a border wall that was never going to work for be effective instead of working towrads comprehensive immigration reform.”
“As part of the president’s proposal he put forward on his first day in office, he proposed investing in smarter security at the border — something he’d be happy to work with governors on and certainly we’re open to having that conversation whenever they’re ready to do that,” Psaki responded.
Evans, who had been a guard member since 2019, was first identified as the missing man by the Texas Military Department on Sunday. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott posted a photo of him on Twitter.
On Monday, Abbott said he was “heartbroken” by the news.
“Our National Guard soldiers risk their lives every day to serve and protect others and we are eternally grateful for the way SPC Evans heroically served his state and country,” Abbott said in a statement. “I thank the members of the Texas National Guard, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Border Patrol, and local law enforcement for working around the clock to locate this soldier.”
“Texas National Guard Specialist Bishop Evans is a hero who risked his life in service to Texas & America. Law enforcement & rescue teams continue a relentless search for him. Join us in prayer for a successful recovery,” Abbott wrote.
Rep. Randy Weber shared an image of the river on Twitter, saying “This is where our great Guardsman Bishop Evans jumped in to save another’s life.”
“He gave his life for his fellow countrymen & even for someone who wasn’t a fellow countryman. Bishop paid the ultimate price,” Weber continued. “JESUS said: No greater love than to lay down your life. We honor Bishop!”
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann blamed Evans’ death on “open border policies.”
“This is the consequence of open border policies,” the Tennessee Republican posted. “Open borders create dangerous situations that cost human lives. My deepest prayers, sympathies, and thoughts are with this hero and his family.”
Bishop is believed to have drowned, swept away by the dangerous currents of the Rio Grande as he tried to save two migrants who appeared to be drowning.
The search to recover his body stalled over the weekend as dive teams from the Border Patrol and other agencies suspended their operations after the Rio Grande became too swift for even them.
The Texas Military Department described Evans actions as “selfless.”
Evans was part of Operation Lone Star, an initiative by the Texas governor to station Texas soldiers on the border to address illegal immigration.
The program has long been criticized by lawyers and even guardsmen, who called the operation a disaster due to lack of a clear mission and deplorable living conditions for soldiers, according to the Texas Tribune.
Two guardsmen, who spoke on condition of anonymity to the outlet, said some commanders in the Eagle Pass area issued orders banning troops from entering the water without a flotation device or banned it entirely.
US Border Patrol agents who regularly work on the Rio Grande told The Post they are not allowed to enter the water at all and must call for a special teams who are specially trained to conduct water rescues. The agents asked not to be identified since they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Evans was stationed in New Braunfels, Texas, and has previously served in Operations Spartan Shield in Kuwait. His family — which described Evans as carefree — traveled to the border this weekend, as the search continued, according to local reports.
Evans reportedly attended Mansfield High School in a suburb of Dallas.
The tragic incident comes as migration numbers along the southern border continue to rise, hitting high of more than 221,000 in March — the most in a single month since President Biden took office.
Migrant encounters are only expected to get worse in the coming weeks, as border states brace for the administration to officially spike the Trump-era Title 42 policy – which has allowed border officials to quickly expel migrants without hearing asylum claims due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention announced earlier this month that the order would officially be lifted on May 23.
