Two Mexican nationals with ties to drug cartels who were caught crossing the U.S. southern border equipped with rifles and armor-piercing ammunition were apprehended by law officials this month,

Recently obtained images, sourced from law enforcement, reveal three men sprinting across the border in the Fronton, Texas area on August 5, armed with rifles and clad in body armor, as they evaded authorities, Fox News reports.

Border residents tell Congress the truth about Biden’s border crisis:

“Tons of illegal drugs have flowed from Mexico into the United States.”

“Our southern border is the largest crime scene in the country.”

“You can get anybody and anything across that border…we live it.” pic.twitter.com/QMzoidc9wQ

— GOP (@GOP) August 9, 2023

Although they initially managed to avoid capture, two of the individuals were later arrested after re-entering the U.S. through the same location.

Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has confirmed the joint operation by Texas Rangers Special Operations Group, Texas Game Wardens, and U.S. Border Patrol that led to the arrests. The Mexican nationals, suspected of being associated with a transnational criminal organization, were found in possession of two rifles and armor-piercing ammunition.

“The Biden Administration has tried to hide the truth from the American people when it comes to our border security and the crisis they’ve engineered.” – @RepGrothman discusses this Administration’s failed border policies pic.twitter.com/g9doiLOaCi

— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) August 12, 2023

Seized items also included tactical gear containing six loaded magazines of 5.56 rounds, “green-tip” armor-piercing rounds, and a machete.

Subsequently, Texas Game Wardens K9s aided in the recovery of an AK-47 rifle and an M4 rifle, which had been discarded in a river.

These arrests underscore the severity of the Mexican drug cartel threat and the significance of a secure border. The multi-agency effort exemplifies the importance of collaboration between local, state, and federal agencies to ensure public safety and national security.

In late April 2021, Joe Biden claimed he had “gotten control” of the border crisis.

Since then, over 1.3 MILLION “gotaways” have illegally crossed the border and escaped into the U.S. pic.twitter.com/uDvaLe8GEL

— GOP (@GOP) August 11, 2023

The shocking images of armed individuals crossing the border add to the growing concerns surrounding cartel activities and human smuggling amid an ongoing migrant crisis.

Despite a brief decline in migrant numbers in June, the flow has surged again in July, largely orchestrated by the cartels.

Some Republicans have proposed treating cartels as terrorists and have called for more aggressive strategies, including military intervention in Mexico.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has responded to these proposals with criticism, even targeting Texas Governor Greg Abbott for attempting to establish a floating border barrier along the Rio Grande to deter illegal border crossings. This barrier is currently facing legal challenges from the Department of Justice.