Big Bend National Park: astounding natural beauty, dangerous transit point for illegals.
About this episode
The episode explores the stunning landscapes of Big Bend National Park while discussing the complexities of illegal immigration in the area.
I rolled south on Highway 385 from the captivating high-desert town of Marathon, Texas. A truly relaxing stay at the evocative, peaceful Wild West accommodations of the Gage Hotel prepared me for the adventure ahead. The road down is looooong , with not a tree in sight, a ribbon of asphalt cutting through stark, empty beauty. After a stop at the Panther Junction Visitor Center, I head a further twenty miles down near the village of Boquillas del Carmen. I missed the cutoff—it’s 4:30 PM—for the trip by rowboat via the Boquillas Cross Port of Entry into town. So I travel several more miles until I come to the Boquillas Canyon Overlook. Several Mexican men were selling handmade bowls, walking sticks, and bracelets just across the skinny Rio Grande from the village. They were friendly. But I had to wonder: have they secured a deal with Border Patrol that allows them to cross back and forth without being apprehended? Were the handmade goods cover for the sale of legitimate contraband, like meth or cocaine? I decided not to ask, but the presence of only men, with no women, was slightly suspicious. Forty miles up the road is the Border Patrol checkpoint. A drug-sniffing German shepherd…
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