Border Patrol agents in South Texas caught more migrants than any other sector on the US border in June, new federal data show.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection released the numbers on a Thursday. The release covers migrant encounters across all nine Southwest border sectors, including the Rio Grande Valley Sector. For the border communities that make up El Tejano's coverage area, the numbers matter. They show this stretch of the Rio Grande is still the busiest crossing point on the entire southern border. That is true even as total crossings nationwide keep falling.

Agents in the RGV Sector encountered 2,227 migrants in June. That is up from 1,985 in May. It is also more than any of the other eight Southwest border sectors. El Paso Sector came in second with 1,909 encounters. Tucson, Arizona came in third with 1,758.

Nationwide, the numbers moved the other way. Total Southwest border encounters dropped to 9,848 in June. That is down 1.6% from May's total of 10,006.

Border Report first analyzed the CBP data. It found the RGV Sector has led every other sector in monthly encounters since November. There was only one exception. In October, the Tucson Sector edged out RGV by 137 encounters.

The June data also show 214 unaccompanied minors were caught by agents in the RGV Sector. That is more unaccompanied kids than any other sector on the border. These are children traveling without a parent or guardian.

Drug seizures along the Southwest border jumped sharply in June compared to May. Fentanyl seizures rose 42%, with 1,072 pounds seized. Heroin seizures rose 49%, with 68 pounds taken. Cocaine seizures rose 71%, with 6,242 pounds confiscated. CBP did not break down how much of that came from the RGV Sector alone.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin pointed to the falling nationwide numbers as proof the Trump administration's border policies are working. "Another month of historically low illegal border crossings demonstrates the success of President Trump's border security policies," Mullin said. "CBP has established meaningful border security resulting in sustained deterrence of illegal crossings."

CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott echoed that message. "I am proud to report yet another decline in illegal border crossings this month," Scott said.

Those statements focus on the national trend. But the local picture in South Texas looks different. While crossings fell overall, they actually grew in the RGV Sector from May to June. That growth kept the Rio Grande Valley at the top of the national list for another month.

Tucson briefly took that spot last October.