Texas Governor Greg Abbott – who has made it harder to illegally cross the Rio Grande from Mexico by extending the border wall, erecting razor wire barriers, and surging Texas Guard troops and Department of Public Safety (DPS) Troopers to the border through “Operation Lone Star” – is warning migrants of another dangerous obstacle: Alligators!
Governor Abbott first warned would-be-river-crossers of the presence of alligators in the Rio Grande around Eagle Pass, Texas in April. He’s followed that up this month by retweeting a warning about what Texas State Troopers have nicknamed “Gary the Gator” – who continues to be spotted there.
Here’s a closer look at “Gary” courtesy of a Texas DPS Marine Unit on May 26, 2024:
“Gary the Gator” photographed by a Texas DPS Marine Unit in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass (May 26, 2024)Photo byTexas Department of Public Safety Marine Unit
“Gary the Gator” is estimated to be about eight feet long. Alligators are not uncommon in the Rio Grande – or elsewhere in Texas. They have been confirmed to be as far north as the Dallas-Fort Worth area – and the further south you go the more likely you are to spot one.